


Where Do Lonely Hart’s Go? (Nobody Ought to be, All Alone on Christmas)

by Heatherdquinn



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Chefs, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Foul Language, Hartwin, Law Enforcement, London, M/M, Multi, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Past Mpreg, Past Relationship(s), Romance, Sexism, Slow Romance, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:28:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28298991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heatherdquinn/pseuds/Heatherdquinn
Summary: Chief Superintendent, Harry Hart, dislikes Christmas. The middle-aged alpha has never been a fan as there are far too many bad memories associated with the holiday. Eggsy Unwin, a single-omega parent and aspiring chef down on his luck, dislikes the holiday as well. But a fateful day changes their lives and their perception of the holiday forever...A Christmas story filled with a little angst, some trials and tribulations, and a whole lot of hart ;)
Relationships: Charlie Hesketh/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, Harry Hart | Galahad/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, Merlin & Roxy Morton | Lancelot
Comments: 25
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have NEVER written a story before, so I'm a little terrified right now, but excited. I tried to put a trigger warning on the applicable chapters, but if I missed any please let me know and I will gladly update. Like many people, I've had a rough go of it this year, and the Kingsman stories here on AO3 have been a great comfort to me. I wanted to write something to give back to this amazing community and I hope you all like it. This is my Christmas gift to you! Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope this story brings some joy into your life and helps make your days merry and bright. 
> 
> *I do not own any of the Kingsman characters

Harold “Harry” Hart dislikes many things. He dislikes cheap fabric, loud obnoxious music, criminals, poor manners, hairless cats, and the holidays… especially, Christmas.

Some people might call the older alpha a ‘Scrooge’ because of his distaste for the most wonderful time of the year, but that’s not an entirely accurate depiction. Although he has a tendency to roll his eyes at most Christmas traditions, unlike Scrooge, he’s actually an incredibly generous and compassionate man.

It’s just that the holidays have never been particularly kind to Harry. When he was a young boy, most Christmases were spent watching his parents drink themselves into a stupor and argue while they attempted to make up for being absentee parents with lavish and downright outrageous gifts. When he was a teenager, his older brother was involved in a terrible skiing accident while celebrating Christmas in the Swiss Alps and was never able to walk again. And during his first year on the job as an officer, a group of men disguised as Father Christmas robbed a bank and an innocent civilian was killed.

Not to mention that there’s also a significant increase in crime around the holidays, which makes his job as Chief Superintendent all the more difficult and downright exhausting. Seriously, it wasn't even December yet and already Harry has apprehended more than a dozen shoplifters, scam artists, and many others who have definitely earned themselves a spot on the naughty list.

“What time is it, please?” Harry asked his closest friend and colleague, rather grumpily.

“It's only five minutes past the last time ye asked,” Merlin grumbled, breathing heavily into his leather gloves in a desperate attempt to keep warm.

The pair of middle-aged alphas were casually strolling through Knightsbridge’s busy retail district, posing as civilians partaking in some light holiday shopping. There has been a soaring number of pickpocketing cases in the upscale area lately and the Metropolitan Police are determined to catch the thief (or thieves) as soon as possible. So far, all of the victims have been posh alphas, and since Harry and Merlin fit that description perfectly, they now have the misfortune of freezing their balls off until they catch whomever is responsible for the crimes.

“Seven hells it's cold. I’m getting a coffee. Fancy a cuppa?” Merlin asked, nodding towards a busy coffee shop.

“Please. Two creams and—

“One sugar. Aye, I know.”

“Thank you, dearest,” Harry jested.

Merlin handed him his phony shopping bags and then crossed the street in hot pursuit of caffeine.

Harry relaxed up against one of the tall buildings and pretended to scroll through his mobile while he continued discreetly patrolling the area. So far nothing and no one had seemed out of place, which he was both relieved, and somewhat disappointed about.

All of the store fronts were festively decorated for the holiday season and people were dashing madly about, shuffling around bags upon bags filled with high-end gifts. A small group of carol singers had gathered on the corner and seemed entirely determined to put shoppers in the holiday spirit by belting out tune after classic tune. Harry silently pleaded with whatever the powers that be for Merlin to return quickly before he was forced to listen to all twelve verses of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

_Don’t be ridiculous. A partridge in a pear tree is a highly impracticable gift,_ Harry wordlessly scoffed at the irritatingly long carol.

“Um. S’cuse me?”

Harry nearly well-nigh jumped out of his skin at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and dropped two of his bags on the pavement; he was just thankful that Merlin wasn't there to witness it, or else the Scotsman would never let him live it down.

After collecting his belongings (and mentally beating himself up for reacting like a bloody idiot), he turned around fully prepared to give this individual a severe tongue-lashing for invading his personal space. However, all of his anger subsided the moment he turned and came face to face with the most beautiful omega he has ever seen.

The young man was absolutely gorgeous. He was well-fit with sparkling cerulean blue eyes, golden hair that glistened like the sun, and he had curves in all the right places. He also smelled amazing; like amber honey, warm apples, and cinnamon... which was rare for an omega as they generally had sweet floral-like scents.

It took Harry a solid minute before he realised that he was just standing there gaping like a fish at the poor creature. “Y-yes?” he stuttered before he managed to pull himself together. “How may I help you, young man?”

The omega bowed his head shyly. “M’ real sorry to bother you, but I’m lost. See, I was supposed to get off at King’s Cross, but I got off at the wrong station and ended up wherever this is? And now my stupid phone’s dead and I’m freaking out ‘cause it’s starting to get dark and I don’t know where I am or how to get back and… Oi! M’ sorry. I ramble when I’m nervous. Do you think maybe you could help me?”

“Of course,” Harry smiled. "And you are in luck as I happen to know this area relatively well.”

“Really? Oh thank you, alpha!”

Ever the bloody peacock, Harry’s inner wolf preened itself at being addressed with such a dignified show of respect, and it made him all the more determined to help the lost omega.

“It is my pleasure. Now, the easiest way to get to King’s Cross from here is to take a cab," Harry started to explain, but then stopped talking when the young man's scent suddenly turned sour, indicating that he was upset.

“Um. I don’t got any money,” he admitted, embarrassed. “But if you give me directions I can probably walk there from here?”

The omega tried to sound confident, but Harry saw through his façade. The alpha knows full well that even some of the locals have difficultly navigating the busy area, so there was no way that this young man was going to find his way around on foot. Especially not before nightfall, or before he caught his death dressed in such light-weight attire.

“Nonsense. What kind of alpha would I be if I allowed you to wander alone in the cold of night? I will call you a cab and you needn’t worry about the expense; I will take care of it.”

“No way! I can’t let you do that. It’s too much.”

“I insist. Call it, an early Christmas present if you will.”

“But… but you don’t even know me?”

“Then let’s fix that, shall we?” The alpha smiled and held out his hand. “Chief Superintendent, Harry Hart, at your service.”

A look of surprise flashed across the omega's face, but then he grinned widely at the older man and shook his proffered hand.

“Chief Superintendent, huh? Funny. I wouldn’t have pegged you’s for a fed.”

“No? Pray tell, what would you have gauged me for then?” Harry inquired, genuinely curious.

“I don’t know. I guess like a tailor or something?” The young man shrugged and gestured towards Harry’s fashionable attire.

“Hmm. Then I suppose that means I am rather good at my job, does it not?”

“Ahh. So, is you like uncover or something then?”

“Sorry, young man. Classified.”

The omega nodded, clearly impressed. All of the attention had made Harry feel cooler than James Bond and he had to pinch himself to keep from grinning like a loon.

It didn't take long for the older man to hail a cab as drivers tend to stop more readily for alpha customers, especially those who _clearly_ had money, then he handed the driver a wad of cash and instructed him to take the omega ‘wherever he wanted to go.’

“How can I ever thank you, alpha?” the omega asked, sweetly.

“No thanks necessary. It was a pleasure to be of service.”

Harry offered the young man his hand once more, and the omega surprised him by pulling him into a hug.

“You’re fucking aces, Harry. You know that?”

“It is just a cab, my dear,” Harry chuckled, secretly enjoying every second of their warm embrace. “As I said, I am simply glad that I could be of service. I only wish I could do more.”

“Oh, you’ve given me so much more than you could _possibly_ know,” the omega winked at him and then hopped inside the cab’s warm backseat.

They waved goodbye until the black vehicle rounded the corner, and Harry silently vowed that he would never wash his coat ever again.

“What the bloody hell are ye smiling about?” Merlin demanded, snapping Harry out of his reverie.

“Oh, I simply saved the day while you were gone,” Harry replied smugly, gratefully accepting the paper cup filled with piping hot tea.

The bald Scotsman had a lot of questions about the unacquainted omega’s lingering scent that was all over Harry’s coat, but he decided to postpone the interrogation until they went out for drinks later. They were already behind schedule as it is and they still had quite a lot of turf to cover.

\---- ---- 

“Ye didn’t get his name OR his number? That’s a rookie mistake, Harry!” Merlin chastised him, sipping an amber ale.

“I fail to see what good that would have done. He was half my age, Hamish. There is simply no way that a beautiful omega like him would ever be interested in an old man like me.” Harry sipped his Guinness, glumly.

“Och! Don’t give me any of that ‘old man’ bullshit. Age is only a number. Besides, I’ve seen ye take down a dozen bad guys armed with nothing more than a brolly,” Merlin grinned at the memory. “Any omega would be lucky to have ye for an alpha.”

“Thank you, Hamish. But I am afraid it is too late. He was not from the area and the likelihood of us ever meeting again is like catching a Large Blue on a summer’s night.”

“Aye, I suppose yer right,” Merlin agreed, downing the rest of his ale and not pursuing the matter any further. “Christ, it’s that late already? Roxy will have my head if I’m nae home by eleven.”

Harry checked the time on his pocket watch and sighed. He was in no rush to return home to his empty house in Stanhope Mews, but he knew that Merlin needed to get home to his wife and his appalling excuse for a house cat; cats should have fur, damn it!

“Yes, I suppose it is getting rather late,” Harry agreed, picking up the cheque. “And I do believe it is my turn?”

“I do believe yer right,” Merlin smirked, then stood up to stretch his back.

Harry rose to his feet as well and reached inside his coat pocket, then frowned.

“Hmm. That is odd.”

“Alright, Harry?”

“I seem to have misplaced my wallet.”

“Och! I’m not falling for that one again. I paid for drinks the last two times.”

“I am being serious, Hamish. I cannot find it,” Harry groused, frantically searching through all of his pockets and even shaking out his coat.

“Let’s retrace yer steps. When was the last time ye had it?”

“I had it this morning when I dropped off my dry cleaning. And again when I purchased lunch. And the last time that I took it out was when I paid for the omega’s cab.”

“And yer certain ye didn't drop it anywhere?”

“Positive. I distinctly remember placing it back in my coat pocket.”

“And ye dinnae come into close contact with anyone or bump into anything?”

“No. The only person that I interacted closely with besides you was the om— Harry gasped and then growled angrily when he remembered the beautiful omega’s ‘friendly’ hug—“THAT LITTLE SHIT!”

Yup. Harry Hart LOATHES the holidays entirely.


	2. Chapter 2

_*Trigger Warning: Mentions of past child abuse, past character deaths and past overdose. Mentions of unwanted advances and sexism._

Gary “Eggsy” Unwin dislikes many things. He dislikes scratchy fabrics, opera music, abusers, snobby alphas, spiders, and the holidays… especially, Christmas.

It’s not like he’s the Grinch or anything, it’s just that the holidays have never been particularly kind to him. When he was six-years old, his dad was shot and killed less than a week before Christmas. A year later, the bank foreclosed on their home and he and his mum had to move into the council estates. His mum eventually remarried and her new alpha was every bit as viscous as he was cruel. He abused and humiliated Eggsy on a daily basis, and his mum simply stood back and watched it all unfold until she overdosed on Boxing Day when he fourteen. Eggsy finally had a chance to turn his life around when he received a scholarship to a prestigious culinary school in the heart of London, but then it all went tits up when he wound-up pregnant during his second year. Unsurprisingly, the baby’s father abandoned him and he lost his scholarship, and he was once again forced to go it alone.

And ever since becoming a single parent, the holidays have turned into the most stressful and dreaded time of the year.

“M’ home!” Eggsy announced as he walked through the door of his petite studio flat, smiling at the sound of little feet that were tottering in his direction.

“Momma!” A three-year old alpha with bright blue eyes screamed and then lunged himself at Eggsy.

“Hiya Ollie! Mmm. I missed my baby.”

“Missed you too, momma.”

“Were you a good boy for Uncle Brandon?”

“Oi! He was a perfect angel, like always,” Brandon chimed in from the kitchen where he was taking a pot of steaming hot ramen off the burner.

“Me and Uncle Brandon cooked supper.”

“You did? Mmm… I can’t wait to eat. I bet it’s delicious,” Eggsy told him.

The child smiled proudly and then ran off to their shared bedroom area that was concealed behind a curtain.

“How’d it go, mate?” Brandon asked, grabbing bowls out of the cupboard.

“They said I ain’t got enough experience,” Eggsy shrugged sadly, hanging up his jacket and kicking off his trainers. He doesn’t tell Brandon that the hiring manager was a sexist prick and spent the entire interview hitting on him, or that he ended up having to knee the creep in the balls ‘cause he tried putting a move on him at the end.

“But you’ve been working in a kitchen for the last three-years. _And_ you’ve even been to culinary school!” the beta scoffed.

“Yeah, but I’m only a dishwasher and my schooling don’t mean nothing ‘cause I ain’t got a degree to show for it.”

“That’s a load of rubbish, that is.”

“Eh. It is what it is,” Eggsy lamented. He was used to the rejection by now.

“So, what’s your next move gonna be?”

“The only thing I can do is keep working my arse off and hope that something better will come along.”

Brandon looked at him with pity in his eyes, knowing full well that it was a fruitless endeavour. Although omegas have been granted certain rights over the years, most employers still discriminated against omegan applicants; not wanting to hire omegas for jobs that were typically held by alphas and betas. Society still perpetuated the long-held belief that omegas belonged in the home, raising the pups. So, life was extremely difficult for an omega with no alpha or family money to help support them. And life was even more difficult for a single omegan parent.

“S’cuse me, momma?” the child politely interrupted them, tugging on Eggsy’s jeans.

“Yes, my love?”

“You can mail this please?” Ollie held up a small envelope with red and green crayon scribbled all over it.

“What’s this then?” Eggsy smiled, bending down to his son’s eye level.

“A letter for Father Christmas,” the toddler replied shyly, rocking on the balls of his feet. “I asked him to bring me a present ‘cause… ‘cause I was a good boy.”

Eggsy frowned and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying. Between the pub cutting his hours and him being behind on rent and utilities (among other bills), he doesn’t know how he’s going to make the holidays special for Ollie this year.

Sensing his mother’s distress, Ollie whimpered sympathetically and wrapped his arms around the omega’s neck.

“Don’t be sad, momma. Father Christmas will bringed presents for me and you too.”

“Oh, my love,” Eggsy cried into the boy’s short feathery light-brown hair. “You’re the bestest, sweetest, most wonderful little boy in the whole wide world. I’ll make sure this letter gets to Lapland and that Father Christmas knows you’ve been real good this year.”

“Thank you, momma,” the toddler sniffled.

Eggsy pocketed the letter, and then the three of them tucked into their humble meal.

\---- ----

“Thanks again for watching Olls,” Eggsy said as he walked Brandon to the door.

“No problem. You know I love that little man,” his long-time friend replied and then looked over to where Ollie was playing with a bunch of old second-hand stuffies. “Um. I didn’t wanna say nothing in front of the pup, but your landlord stopped by earlier. And I know it’s none of my business, but he said you’re almost three months behind on rent?”

Eggsy’s face turned beet red and he looked down at his feet. “Yeah, money’s been tight, but I’m working on it.”

“Well, me and Jamal can help, you know? The garage has been doing real good and we got some extra cash at the ‘mo.”

“Nah, I appreciate it, but I can’t take your guys’ money.”

“We’re worried about you, mate,” Brandon said sincerely.

“Don’t be. I’ve got it all sorted. I um… gotta little side hustle going at the ‘mo and the money’s pretty good, so I’ll be able to catch up in no time.”

“Yeah? What kind of side hustle?”

“Oh um. Helping another pub with doing inventory and stuff. It’s nothing special, but it’ll look good on my CV.”

The lie tasted like vinegar in Eggsy’s mouth, but he couldn’t have his best mates worrying about him. Like Eggsy, they also grew up in the council estates and it has taken the young couple _years_ to get their garage up and running. And he’ll be damned before he accepts any of their hard-earned money.

Brandon looked at him skeptically, but didn’t ask any more questions. “Alright. But you’ll come to us if you need help, yeah?”

“I will, swear down. Now you get home safe and give my love to Jamal.”

“I will. Love you, Eggs.”

“Love you too, Bran.”

Eggsy watched to make sure that Brandon got to his car safely before closing and locking up the door. He sighed and looked around the dingy flat, thanking his lucky stars that he was able to pick a few pockets on his way home earlier, or else he’d really be up shit’s creek right about now.

The omega knows it’s not an honest way to make a living, but playing by the rules hasn’t exactly gotten him very far. He’s been on seventeen interviews in the last three months and all of them turned out to be dead ends. There’s not a single restaurant in all of London that wants to hire an uneducated omega from the estates to cook in their kitchen; even if he’s an incredibly talented chef and people all over the world unknowingly cook with his recipes every day.

Fortunately, Eggsy has other talents besides his culinary skills to fall back on; otherwise, he and Ollie would be living on the streets right now. He perfected the art of the five-finger discount at a young age since it was always up to him to make sure that he was clothed and fed while growing up. And part of the reason he was so good at it was because of his secondary gender; no one ever suspects a ‘sweet little omega’ of committing such crimes, and he uses what others perceive as his weakness to his advantage. He never steals from the weak or poor though. He only steals from rich alpha snobs, which is why he always heads to Knightsbridge to commit his crimes. Well, at least that’s how it was _before_ he stole from Chief Superintendent Hart. The older man was definitely a rich alpha, but he was _far_ from snobby.

Eggsy had used the ‘poor lost omega’ bit a dozen times before, but Harry was the only alpha who actually tried to help him without expecting or demanding anything in return. Not to mention that Harry was also dashingly handsome and smelled fucking incredible; like old books, vanilla, and expensive scotch. He was the kind of alpha Eggsy used to dream of settling down with; he was a true gentleman through and through. But alas, Eggsy knows that’s another dream that’ll never come true. An alpha like Harry Hart would never want a used omega chav like him.

After Ollie was asleep, Eggsy counted up all of his stolen cash and sorted through his bills. Thanks to his most recent haul, he can now afford to catch up on some rent and make a payment towards the electric bill before the power gets shut off again. He even has some extra money to buy decent groceries with, which is a _huge_ bonus as Ollie has started to develop an alpha male’s appetite and is hungry all the time.

He wisely disposed of all the recently stolen wallets, but chose to hold onto Harry’s for a while longer. It was hard to explain, but the idea of getting rid of it upset his inner wolf. He slid the thin leather billfold underneath his mattress and then crawled into bed, being extra careful not to wake Ollie.

And that night Eggsy fell asleep feeling a tad bit safer than he has in a very long time.


	3. Chapter 3

“Still no leads on the pickpocketing cases?” Chief Constable, Percival Knight inquired. He was standing over Harry’s and Merlin’s partners-style desk and conversationally sipping out of a ‘World’s Greatest Boss’ mug.

“Nothing yet,” Harry lied, narrowing his eyes at Merlin, whom mumbled something intelligible into his morning coffee.

“Well, keep me posted. I would like to wrap this one up before the holidays if possible. We do not want people to be wary of doing their Christmas shopping in the area. There are far too many small businesses that rely on holiday sales.”

“Yes sir,” Harry avowed.

Percival began to leave, but then stopped in their doorway and turned back around. “Oh, and speaking of holidays, I hope that both of you have RSVP’d yes for the Christmas party.”

“Of course. We are looking forward to it. Isn’t that right, Merlin?” Harry smiled satirically at the Scotsman.

“Aye, ecstatic,” Merlin deadpanned.

Percival snorted. He knew all too well that neither of them was particularly thrilled about attending the festive event, but he wasn’t going to yank their chain about it. “Alright, I will let you two get back to work now. Good day, gentlemen.”

“Good day, sir.”

“What the hell is wrong with ye, Harry?” Merlin growled after Percival closed the door behind him.

“I know that you dread going every year, Hamish, but it is good for morale.”

“I’m nae talking about the party, ye git. I’m talking about ye lying to our boss about the pickpocketing cases. It’s been a week now. When are ye gonna tell him what happened?”

“Never.”

“Harry, ye c—

“Hamish, if Percival or any of the other officers find out that I was swindled by an omega, I will be the laughing stock of the entire precinct. I will be forced into early retirement, and then I will have to take up a ridiculous hobby to fill my sad, lonely days. I suppose I could always take up knitting. I am rather skilled with a needle and thread. And I am sure that Roxanne and Mr. Denver would appreciate a set of new jumpers.”

“First of all, yer not knitting anything for my wife OR my cat. Second, don’t ye think you’re being a tad bit over dramatic?”

“I beg your pardon? I am _never_ over dramatic. And your cat needs _something_ on his body besides skin. He looks like a naked rat,” Harry shuddered.

“He’s a Sphynx, Harry. They’re nae supposed to have fur.”

“He is an abomination.”

“Anyways,” Merlin groaned. “If yer nae gonna tell Percival what happened, what are ye planning to do then?”

“I do not know, but I will think of something. In the meantime, please do not say anything. I implore you.”

Merlin breathed a heavy sigh, then begrudgingly nodded in agreement. “Ye owe me, Harry.”

Harry blew him a kiss and ducked just in time to avoid being hit in the face with a stress ball. Unfortunately, he celebrated his coordination skills a little too soon because he failed to duck out of the way when Merlin then threw a notepad at him; and that one actually hurt.

\---- ----

“I am off to get the food,” Harry announced, buttoning up his coat and wrapping a cashmere scarf around his neck.

Merlin was on the phone and gave him a quick thumbs up.

The partners generally order takeaway from Tilde’s Café whenever they work out of the office. Tilde is a close friend and her humble establishment makes the best pasties in all of London.

The walk to the café was short, but still long enough for Harry’s coat to accumulate a light dusting of snow along the way. He brushed himself off upon arrival and relished in the smell of hot food that greeted him from the moment he stepped foot inside. The place was all decked-out for the holidays with twinkling lights and garland wrapped around every available surface, and jazzy Christmas music was pouring out of mini-speakers.

“Good afternoon, Harry. How are you today?” A pretty blonde beta greeted him with a kind smile.

“Very well, Tilde. And you?”

“Business has been great, so I can’t complain.”

“That is good to hear.”

“Your food will be ready in ten. I apologise for the wait. We’re a little understaffed at the moment with Amelia being out on maternity leave.”

“Oh did her omega have the baby?” Harry asked, excited.

“Yup. A girl. She’s an adorable little thing too.”

“That is wonderful news. Please pass along my congratulations.”

“I will. Would you like a cuppa while you wait?” she asked.

“Oh no, thank you. Do you mind if I sit though?”

“Of course not! Please sit anywhere you’d like.”

Harry unbuttoned his coat and made himself comfortable on one of the high bar stools along the tall counter. He causally glanced around the space, noting that it was packed with all sorts of patrons ranging from sweet elderly couples, to chatty groups of friends, to busy professionals on their lunch break.

After thirty plus years of working in law enforcement, he’s developed a habit of surveying his surroundings wherever he goes. And it’s a good thing he has because his eyes eventually land on a _very_ memorable face.

Sitting in the back corner of the café was the beautiful pickpocketing omega from the week before. He was dressed exactly the same (minus the snapback) and he appeared slightly nervous. He was concentrating very hard on filling out a piece of paper, and from what Harry could deduce, it was a job application.

The older alpha sat quietly and continued to observe. He watched as the young man handed Tilde his completed application before chatting with her for a brief period of time. Harry couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was obvious from the look on the young man’s face that the interview wasn’t moving in his favour. Still, he smiled politely and shook Tilde’s hand before walking out of the café, appearing on the verge of tears.

Harry could have easily reached out and apprehended him right then and there, but he thought the omega looked dejected enough for one day. Besides, now the alpha has a way to learn everything he can about the elusive little thief.

“Pardon me, Tilde?” Harry called out to her. “I am terribly sorry to intrude, but might I have a copy of that young man’s CV? It is for official business.”


	4. Chapter 4

_*Trigger Warning: unwanted advances_

  
“Gary D. Unwin. Twenty-four years old, aspiring cook, and currently resides north of the borough,” Harry proudly exclaimed, dropping the young man’s CV on Merlin’s desk.

“Who and what now?” Merlin asked him, examining the document.

“The pickpocketing omega. He was interviewing for a line cook position at the café when I was there to pick up the food.”

“And ye didn’t arrest him, WHY?”

“ _Because_. When we bring him in, I want to be absolutely certain that we have enough to hold him on. Apprehending him based solely on reasonable suspicions all but guarantees an immediate release, and then we will be right back at square one.”

“Do ye think the lad's doing more than just picking pockets?”

“I am not certain, but there is definitely more to him that meets the eye, I can tell you that.”

“I take it we'll be tailing the lad then?”

“Most definitely,” Harry confirmed.

“Spectacular,” Merlin groaned. “Ye best hand me my lunch then. I'm gonna need my strength to deal with all this.”

“Is tailing an omega too much for you to handle, Hamish?” Harry taunted, handing him a takeaway container. “And you call _me_ old.”

“Ye _are_ old.”

“I am seven months younger than you!”

Merlin snorted, completely ignoring the logic there. “Nae, tailing the omega will nae be a problem for _me_ , but I am concerned about _ye_ ,” he pointed his fork at Harry.

“I beg your pardon?”

“The lad humiliated ye _and_ stole from ye, and yet yer eyes still get this ‘glazed look’ every time ye talk about him. It's enough to make anyone ill.”

“My eyes do not get a gl—

“Aye, they do. I only hope that when the time comes, ye will be able to set aside yer feelings and do whatever's necessary.”

“There will not be any problems. I can assure you.”

\---- ----

Harry and Merlin have taken turns tailing Gary Unwin over the past few days, but it hasn’t led to anything useful. The omega hasn't returned to the Knightsbridge area, or done anything even remotely suspicious. In fact, he’s only left his flat twice and that was to walk to and from his job at a pub located six miles away. And the only person they have seen visiting his flat was a beta named Brandon Allen, whom checked out when they ran a background check on him, which leads the officers to believe that the omega is working alone.

“Hart speaking,” Harry tiredly answered his mobile.

“The Black Prince checks out. No thefts have been reported since the lad started working there three years ago, and his performance reviews have been satisfactory. The only red marks in his file are for frequent absences.”

“Damn.”

Merlin sighed. “How long do ye want to keep this up, Harry?”

“We both know that he is our thief, Hamish. There have not been any cases reported since he has been absent from the Knightsbridge area.”

“Aye, I agree. But he’s not giving us anything we can work with. Perhaps he's called it quits?”

“Or he is busy planning something else,” Harry rebutted. He removed his tortoiseshell glasses and placed them on the dash of his unmarked vehicle, taking a short break from surveying the omega’s flat. “Let's watch him a few days more. If we still have not uncovered anything by week’s end then we will regroup.”

“Verra good.”

Harry repocketed his mobile and turned his attention back to the omega's flat.

_What are you up to, omega?_ He wondered to himself.

\---- ----

It was three days later, on a cold and wet Friday morning when the omega finally shook things up. Instead of heading to work where (thanks to Merlin's sources) the officers knew he was scheduled to be, the young man high-tailed it to the busy upscale area of Knightsbridge.

_Bingo_ , Harry silently declared.

Harry kept his distance as he followed his suspect, making himself inconspicuous under a large black brolly. His adrenaline was pumping as the omega unknowingly led him down one busy street to the next, until they finally came to a stop. It was then that the alpha realised they had returned to the scene of the crime; it was the exact same spot where the omega nicked his wallet the week before.

Looking around, Harry saw that there were no CCTV cameras pointed in their direction, and that the spot was out of earshot of passerby; it was the perfect set up.

Harry pretended to peruse some window displays as he waited, then he watched in awe as the omega put on an all-too familiar performance... _and oh was he good._

Gary Unwin was so convincing with his whole ‘I’m a poor lost omega' act that Harry thought the young man should pursue a career in acting instead of washing dishes and leading a life of crime. The only difference about this particular scenario was that his soon-to-be victim (a short, muscular, well-dressed alpha male in his late-thirties) had an entirely different response than Harry had had. It was clear from the other alpha's body language that he was relishing in the poor omega's plight, and that he lacked any decorum as he kept invading the omega’s personal space. If Harry wasn't working, he would have made it a point to teach the repugnant alpha a lesson in manners.

Harry continued to watch the scene unfold, cringing at the other alpha’s ridiculous attempts at flirting, all the while recording the entire thing on his mobile. After a lot of back and forth, the other alpha willingly handed the omega a few quid; however, the scene took an abrupt turn when he then cupped the omega’s face and ran his thumb over the sensitive and unmarked scent gland that was there.

Harry was absolutely appalled by such ungentlemanly behaviour, but the omega had it under control. Unwin pushed the other alpha off, then delivered a well-deserved kick to the man’s groin, making him howl in pain.

And if Harry had blinked he would have missed it... during their brief scuffle, the omega had managed to nick the vulgar alpha's wallet AND his designer wrist watch, all without the guy noticing that anything was amiss.

Finally. After days of waiting, the officer had the evidence he needed.

He sent Merlin a copy of the recording and the Scotsman immediately replied with three happy-devil emojis. But before Harry could act, the young man was gone. 

\---- ----

“There you go, love. Is that better?” Eggsy asked Ollie after spooning some grape-flavoured cold medicine into his mouth, and placing a cool cloth on his forehead.

“Yes momma,” Ollie replied in a hoarse voice.

The little boy was taken ill with a terrible cold and Eggsy has been worried out of his mind. He desperately needed to buy Ollie some medicine, but he had already spent all of his money trying to catch up on some past due rent and other bills; and he wasn't due another pay cheque until the end of next week. He knew another trip to Knightsbridge was inevitable, but that left him with yet another dilemma... he didn't have anyone who could watch Ollie on such short notice.

So, when Ollie woke up earlier feeling and sounding much worse, Eggsy knew that he had no other choice but to leave his sick child home alone. And that made him feel like the absolute worst parent in the world.

Society already looks down on omegas as it is, but single omegan parents have it ten times worse. There are tons of laws in place that regulate omegan parents’ rights, and all it would take is for him to get into trouble with the law just ONCE, regardless of the severity of the offence, and he could lose custody of his pup. He had a terrible pit in his stomach the whole time he was out, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed, but he chalked that up to being paranoid. He's just thankful that it's over and done with and now he can focus on nursing his little one back to health.

Eggsy took some homemade lemon chicken soup out of the freezer to thaw it out for lunch, and then quietly tidied up the flat while Ollie wheezily slept.

Two hours later, the child woke up complaining about a ‘rumbling tummy,’ but thankfully his fever had finally gone down.

“Momma’s making you some soup, love. It'll be ready in a ‘mo,” Eggsy assured him, kissing his cheek. He pulled up a children's program on his mobile and handed it to the toddler to watch.

Eggsy was headed for the kitchen to fix his son a bowl of soup when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

The omega frowned as he wasn't expecting anyone, and a million different scenarios started playing through his head. However, nothing could have prepared him for what was waiting on the other side of the door, or rather, _who_.

“Hello again.”

“H-Harry?”


	5. Chapter 5

“W-what are you doing here?” Eggsy asked anxiously (and hella confused).

“I am here on official business,” Harry replied sternly, flashing his badge. “Please step outside.”

Eggsy looked over his shoulder, then defiantly back at Harry. “M’ good where I am, thanks.”

“I was rather hoping we could do this civilly,” Harry groused, then he squared his shoulders and spoke more determinedly. “Mr. Gary Unwin, you are under arrest on suspicion of grand larceny. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if y—

“Momma?” Ollie called out as he staggered into the room. The child froze in fear at the sight of the unfamiliar alpha standing in their doorway, then ran forward and wrapped himself protectively around his mother's leg. “No hurt my momma!”

“Shhh baby. It's alright,” Eggsy said soothingly, though his body was riddled with dread.

“Y-you have a child?” Harry stammered. He felt utterly ridiculous for asking such an obvious question, but he was so completely thrown by the revelation that he simply didn't know what else to say.

The omega’s scent was going haywire and Harry knew that it was only a matter of time before other alphas in the area caught wind of an unbonded omega in distress if they continued standing out in the open.

“Perhaps we can speak inside?” Harry proposed.

“Why? So you can arrest me in front of my kid?”

“I am not go— It would be best to discuss things inside, _please_?” he suggested more urgently.

Eggsy eyed the officer suspiciously, but then he picked up his child and allowed the older man to enter his home.

“Let me just get this one sorted. Um... sit wherever you’d like,” Eggsy spoke shakily, then carried the whimpering child behind a doorway curtain.

Harry removed his hat and sat on one of the rusted folding chairs at the makeshift kitchen table and looked around the flat. It was small, but tidy, and it was obvious that the omega tried his best to make it a comfortable home despite the fact that it had stained wallpaper, dingy wall-to-wall carpeting, and exposed pipework. There was a play area with a small collection of toys piled in the corner of the sitting room, and a large drawing of a Christmas tree taped to the wall.

“Can I get you a cuppa or something?” Eggsy asked upon his return, nervously fidgeting with the hem of his navy-striped jumper.

“No, thank you. Gary, we sh—

“Eggsy.”

“Pardon?”

“M’ name's Eggsy. Nobody calls me _Gary_ ,” he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“Very well then. Eggsy, I am not going to arrest you.”

“You're not?” Eggsy breathed, having to grip the counter for support.

Harry caught him before he hit the floor, then gracefully manoeuvred him into an empty chair. He poured them both a glass of water and waited a few minutes before he continued speaking.

“No, I am not,” Harry affirmed. “I would like to make you an offer instead.”

“What kind of offer?”

“Well, I had £900 in my wallet and based on the police reports, I would say that you stole roughly £7,000 over the last few weeks.”

“Shit. Harry, I ain't got that kind of mo—

“Please, let me finish. I understand that you do not have the financial means to repay what you stole, but I simply cannot let you off scot-free. That is why I am willing to allow you to make amends by earning the money instead.”

“ _Earning the money?”_ The omega repeated with a disgusted snarl. “I ain’t letting you bend me over if that’s what you’re suggesting!”

Harry’s eyes widened and he choked on his water, spilling some down the front of his uniform. He’s never heard an omega use such vulgar language before he was both horrified _and intrigued_.

“Good heavens no! That is not—I am offering you a legitimate job opportunity.”

The omega narrowed his eyes and rested back against the chair with his arms folded over his chest. “What kind of job?”

“A personal chef.”

“For who?”

“For me, actually. It is my understanding that you are an aspiring cook and it so happens that I am absolute rubbish in the kitchen. I would gladly welcome a break from having to order takeaway and eating frozen pizzas all of the time. Once you have worked off the £900 that you have stolen from me, I will donate the remaining £6,100 to a local charity.”

The omega's scent spiked, revealing that he was excited, but his face was still masked with disinclination.

“You sure you really want someone like _me_ cooking for you?”

“Absolutely.”

“Why are you doing this for me, Harry? I mean, I stole from you. You came here to arrest me, but instead you're offering me a _job_? It's a bit much, innit?”

“Because I see before me a young man with potential. A young man who is loyal. Who can do as he is asked, and who wants to do something good with his life.”

Eggsy bit his lip and tried to very hard keep his burning tears at bay, but a few drops still managed to escape his eyes. He silently nodded his head yes and they shook on it to seal the deal. 

\---- ----

“Ye did what?!”

Harry held his mobile away from his ear until the Scotsman finished yelling and cursing at him in Gaelic.

“I offered him a job. He is going to work off the money that he stole, and he swore to me that he will never steal again.”

“Oh, he promised, well that's good. I feel much better about the si—HAVE YE LOST YER DAMN MIND?”

“He was only stealing to survive, Hamish. To provide for his child. You know very well what would have happened to his pup if I arrested him.”

After a few moments of intense silence, Merlin reluctantly agreed. “Aye, but what are we supposed to tell Percival? We still need to account for all of the resources and hours we spent surveilling the lad.”

“We will simply tell him that nothing came of it. And since Eggsy has pr—

“ _Eggsy_?”

“It is the omega's nickname. He never goes by Gary,” Harry casually explained. “And since Eggsy has promised to stop stealing, there will not be any more cases to solve and Percival will call it a wrap. I know it is somewhat dishonest, but I _am_ donating a large sum of money to charity, so I believe that balances out the karma.”

“I dinnae think that's quite how it works, Harry, but I willnae fight ye on it. I’m simply glad to put an end to the whole charade.”

“Thank you, Hamish. You are a great partner and an even greater friend.”

“Aye, that I am. And I expect one hell of a Christmas gift this year.”

“You can count on it,” Harry chuckled lightly, and made a mental note to visit Merlin's favourite whisky distillery before the holiday.

A loud purring could then be heard on Merlin's end of the line and Harry growled lowly.

“Aww, do ye want to say hello to yer Uncle Harry?” Merlin cooed.

“I am NOT that _thing’s_ uncle. I am not anyone's uncle for that matter.”

“He's a lovely pet, Harry. And far better behaved than that destructive little shit ye used to have.”

“Mr. Pickles was a delightful companion and even my stuffed dog is a more appealing pet than that atrocity.”

“Och! Dinnae pay him any attention, Mr. Denver. Yer Uncle Harry’s simply frustrated ‘cause he's fallen head over heels for an omega,” Merlin snickered.

“Good night and fuck you both,” Harry retorted, in a mock-polite tone, disconnecting the call. _Hanging up on someone using a mobile device just wasn’t as satisfying as it used to be,_ he lamented.

Harry prepared his final martini of the evening and took out the grocery list that he asked Eggsy to prepare earlier. Then the alpha spent the next hour ordering everything on the list from an online market; and if he ordered one too many bottles of wine and lemon biscuits then blame it on the alcohol.

He was thrilled about Eggsy coming to work for him; and not just because he was going to get well-cooked meals out of the deal. This was going to be an excellent opportunity for the omega to turn things around. The only thing the alpha was apprehensive about was entertaining a toddler. He doesn't have any experience with children and his house isn't exactly ‘child friendly.’ He decided to peruse an online toy store and ended up ordering a few puzzles and some children's books to help make Oliver feel welcomed and to (hopefully) help keep him entertained while his mother was busing working.

He settled into bed that night feeling particularly pleased with himself.


	6. Chapter 6

“Ah, welcome! Do come in,” Harry greeted mother and son with a bright smile. He leaned forward with his hands rested on his knees and addressed the toddler directly, “It is lovely to see that you are feeling better, Oliver.”

Ollie had been wary of the older alpha when he showed up at their flat and made his momma cry both sad and happy tears earlier in the week. So, it took some convincing on Eggsy's part to get him on board with the whole ‘cooking for Harry’ plan. Obviously, the toddler was far too young to understand how or why the plan came to be, but he was exceptionally intuitive and adept at understanding when something was important to his momma, so he’s cooperating.

“Can you say hi to Mr. Hart, love?” Eggsy prompted the toddler.

“Oh, you may call me Harry, young man.”

“Hi Mr. Harry,” the child replied timidly, hugging Eggsy's leg as he looked around the entry way. “Your house is pretty.”

“Thank you, Oliver,” Harry chuckled. “That is very kind of you to say.” He hung the toddler's bulky winter jacket on the mounted coat rack as Eggsy worked to untie the laces on the boy's worn-out boots. “I hope the ride here was not too bad? Traffic can be unpredictable at this time of day.”

“Nah, it wa—

“Me and momma walked!” Ollie declared.

“It ain’t polite to interrupt people when they're talking, love,” Eggsy lightly reprimanded him.

“Sorry momma.”

“You walked?” Harry asked, perplexed. “All this way?”

“Nothing we ain't used to,” Eggsy shrugged, pointedly avoiding eye contact. “Besides, s’good exercise and this one enjoys piggy-back rides, yeah?” He tickled Ollie’s sides, making the child laugh softly.

Eggsy had on a light-weight grey and black bomber jacket and a pair of winged trainers that were ripping at the souls, which in turn exposed his feet to the damp slush that covered the city’s pavements. His face was visibly rosy from the cold and Harry also noticed that his hands were trembling even though the omega tried to hide it. As much as the older alpha wanted to say something, he made no further comment on the matter as to avoid making the omega feel even more embarrassed than he clearly already was, but he made a mental note to do something about it later.

“Well then, how about a quick tour and some hot chocolate to warm up with, hmm?” Harry proposed, placing his guests’ wet shoes on the wooden shoe tray.

“Is okay with you momma?” Ollie asked hopefully.

“Yes, baby. But after Harry shows us around first.”

The child clapped his hands in glee, then dutifully followed the grownups around the two-story townhouse, being cautious not to touch anything.

\---- ----

“This is my office and where I spend the majority of my time when I am home,” Harry casually explained, showing his guests the moderate-sized space with red painted walls that were covered with peculiar newspaper clippings. “Sometimes I may have to take my evening meals in here. I only ask that you knock before entering as my work is highly confidential.” Eggsy nodded in understanding. “Now, the loo is located to your left and this room here is the guest room,” Harry pointed out, before leading them back downstairs.

“Mr. Harry? Why you have lots of pictures of bugs?” Ollie asked, curiously inspecting the many framed butterfly displays hanging over the staircase.

“Olls!” Eggsy exclaimed, tying hard to keep a straight face. But truth be told, he was wondering the same thing.

“It is all right,” Harry assured him, not the slightest bit offended. “It is a hobby of mine. I very much wanted to be a lepidopterologist when I was growing up.”

“What's that?” Eggsy and Ollie asked together, scrunching up their noses and tilting their heads to one side.

Their reaction reminded Harry of his old pet terrier whenever the animal heard a squeaky toy and it was all he could do not to laugh.

“It is someone who studies butterflies.” He was secretly hoping that they would ask more about his hobby as he genuinely enjoys discussing the topic and rarely has an opportunity to do so. But alas, the child's three-year old mind had already moved on to something new and he was busy looking around the sitting room, taking a particular interest in the stone fireplace.

“What are you looking at, baby?” Eggsy asked when the boy crouched down and tried to look up the chimney.

“It's just like in my book, momma!”

“His book?” Harry asked.

Eggsy had to think for a minute before his brain made the connection. “Oh yeah, you're right. We’ve been reading, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” he clarified for Harry. “He really loves that book. It's got little pictures in it that pop up and stuff.”

“I like the sleepy mouse,” Ollie stated. “Cause mouses live in our house too.”

Harry frowned at that tidbit of information and he could tell that Eggsy was mortified. “Surely your landlord is aware of the issue?” he asked the omega.

“Yup,” Eggsy replied, popping the p. “It's just one of many things on a long list of problems,” Eggsy huffed.

Harry made another mental note to look into the property later. No one should ever be expected to live with vermin.

“Have you been a good boy this year, Oliver?” Harry asked, trying to change the subject to make Eggsy feel better.

“Mmhhmm. I pick up my toys, and I maked the bed, and I eated my veggie-tables even dough they taste yucky. And I give momma lots of hugs and kisses!”

“He's a very good boy all year round,” Eggsy stated proudly, tussling his son’s hair.

“Yup. And Momma’s good too!”

Harry and Eggsy exchanged a knowing look, then both of them turned their heads and cleared their throats. Thankfully, the child was far too young to pick up on anything though.

“Mr. Harry, why you not have a Christmas tree?”

“Oh, well I suppose it's because I live alone and have no one to enjoy it with,” Harry replied somewhat sadly.

“Me and momma live alone and we drawed a tree!”

“Yes, I remember seeing that. You are quite an artist,” Harry praised and the child positively beamed. “Perhaps you can draw one for me while your mother is busy cooking?”

Ollie nodded his head excitedly and then detailed his master plan for drawing the “bestest Christmas tree ever” as Harry showed them around the rest of the house.

\---- ----

“And last but not least, this is your new workspace,” Harry announced, leading the way into the large country-style kitchen.

Eggsy suddenly felt like a kid in a candy store as he stepped into the crisp white space, slowly admiring the dark soapstone countertops, large farmhouse sink, and various high-end appliances. It was the kitchen of his culinary dreams.

“This is aces, Harry.”

“Thank you,” the alpha smiled kindly. “I do believe it is properly equipped with everything a chef could need, but if you find it's lacking anything, please let me know.”

“S'cuse me?” Ollie piped up, shyly.

“Yes baby?” Eggsy asked.

“I can maybe have some hot chocolate now... please?” The child wrung his hands, obviously worried that Harry might have changed his mind.

“Ah yes, Oliver. Thank you for reminding me,” Harry reacted apologetically and jumped into action.

For a man who claims he can't cook, Harry sure moved about the kitchen with ease. The omega's eyes practically bulged out of his head when the older alpha took out a fancy silver tray and a set of holiday mugs, complete with a matching kettle.

“Oi! You ain't gotta go to all this trouble just for us, Harry,” Eggsy said shyly, plopping Ollie onto one of the upholstered high-top chairs at the kitchen island.

“Nonsense. A good host goes out of their way to entertain their guests and to make them feel welcomed,” Harry replied with a warm smile.

Eggsy wanted to correct Harry and say that he was technically an _employee_ and not a guest, but he decided to keep his mouth shut because Ollie was obviously mesmerised by the whole ordeal. Hot chocolate was a luxury as the food bank hardly ever carried non-essential items, so Eggsy didn't want to say or do anything that would put a damper on the special treat.

It didn't take long for the kettle to come to a boil and soon the aroma of rich hot chocolate filled the kitchen. Harry added milk to each mug and topped all of the drinks with mini-marshmallows, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and even added a peppermint stick for a pop of colour.

“Here you are, Oliver,” Harry said proudly, placing a mug in front of the toddler. “Enjoy.”

“Wowww. Thank youuu,” the child replied with sparkling eyes.

Harry chuckled. “You are most welcome.”

“This is delicious, Harry. The cinnamon is a nice touch.”

“Thank you, Eggsy. Although, I must admit I had some help. My friend’s wife works for Kingsman Publishing House, you see, and she gifted me the new “Holidays with Hesketh” cookbook. Are you familiar with Charles Hesketh?”

“Yeah… I've heard of ‘em,” Eggsy mumbled, staring down into his drink.

“Right. Of course, you have. He is only the most popular young chef in all of the UK. I have to say, a lot of his recipes sound most delightful.”

Eggsy suddenly became eerily quiet and visibly pale.

“Momma okay?” Ollie asked, sounding worried. The alpha toddler was very much attuned to his omegan parent’s emotions and could sense that Eggsy was upset. Harry could as well.

“Yeah. M’fine. I just realised I forgot to bring my apron is all,” he lied.

“Ah! No need to worry. I have one that you are welcome to use.” Harry opened a small linen closet and removed a neatly pressed pinstriped apron. “You are welcome to use everything in the kitchen,” he smiled, content that he was able to resolve the issue.

Eggsy mumbled a quiet thanks and proceeded to help him with the dishes.

“Momma, you gonna cook for Mr. Harry, right?”

“I am, love,” Eggsy replied, shooting a quick glance at the clock mounted on the wall above the entryway. “And I should get going on that actually. Harry probably wants to eat his supper at a sensible time.”

“Please take as long as you need. Do not ever feel like you have to rush on my account. The groceries on your list were delivered earlier today. There were only two or three substitutions, but I think you will find everything in order.”

“Thanks, Harry.”

“And I’m gonna help. Cause I'm momma’s zoo chef!”

Harry and Eggsy laughed heartily and the boy pouted, not understanding the humour of the situation.

“You're my _sous_ chef _,_ love.”

“I said that, momma.” The child shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. His momma can be so silly sometimes.

\---- ----

Eggsy was busy preparing a cranberry and orange roast chicken that made the entire house smell _amazing_. Harry couldn't remember the last time he was this excited about a home-cooked meal. It was all he could do not to sneak back into the kitchen for a taste, but he wouldn't dare mess with Oliver again...

He absentmindedly rubbed his right hand where the toddler had (lightly) slapped him with a wooden spoon earlier. All the older man had tried to do was sample whatever the delicious concoction was in the stand mixer and Ollie came out of nowhere armed with the aforementioned utensil. Eggsy had tried not to laugh when he lectured his son about ‘being nice,’ but apparently the shocked expression on Harry's face made it extremely difficult. And so now Harry was upstairs in his home office, sulking like a petulant child while he patiently waited on dinner.

He was halfway through writing up a report for work when the sound of Christmas music softly played throughout the ordinarily silent house. Normally, Harry would grumble and immediately change the station, but he soon realised that he didn't mind Christmas carols all that much when they were being sung by Eggsy or Oliver. Eggsy had the most beautiful voice and even the child could carry a tune (even if he _was_ butchering most of the words).

Harry found himself hanging onto every verse of “Silent Night” and it wasn't until Ollie’s fifth attempt to get his attention that he finally snapped out of it.

“My apologies, Oliver. How may I help you?”

“S'cuse me, Mr. Harry. Momma says supper’s ready now.”

“Thank you very much for telling me. I will be along shortly.”

The child smiled proudly and then toddled off, slowly making his way back down the stairs on his bum.

Harry arrived in the dining room a few minutes later and frowned when he saw that the table was only set for one.

“Go ahead and take a seat, Harry,” Eggsy told him, placing a covered plate on the table.

“Aren't you and Oliver going to eat?”

“Oh. We was gonna eat in the kitchen. Figured you'd wanna eat your meal in peace,” Eggsy wavered.

“Nonsense. I would enjoy the pleasure of your company,” Harry assured him and then went about setting two more plates.

Eggsy tried to convince Harry to start eating, but the alpha refused to take even one bite before the omega had finished cutting up his son’s food and making sure it wasn't too hot for him.

“Oh my,” Harry exclaimed after he finally took a bite.

“Alright, Harry?” Eggsy panicked, his fork frozen in midair.

“This is by far the most delectable meal I have ever had,” Harry gushed, moaning around another bite of chicken.

Eggsy blushed and Ollie giggled behind his hand.

“I am serious, Eggsy. This is incredible.”

“Thanks Harry.”

“Momma’s a yummy cook!”

“He most certainly is,” Harry agreed. “Bloody well done.”

\---- ----

“All the food’s organised into containers so you can take stuff with you to work and reheat leftovers when you get home,” Eggsy explained to Harry, putting the last of the clean dishes away.

“Thank you again, Eggsy. Everything was wonderful.”

“M’ just doing my job,” the omega shrugged and offered Harry a small smile.

“Momma! You can help me please?” Ollie yelled from the front hallway. The toddler was sitting on the bottom step and holding up his feet.

“Oi! This was a very good try, but you got your boots on the wrong feet, love.”

“Oops,” the toddler giggled. Then the child patiently waddled side to side in his bulky winter gear while the adults said their goodbyes.

“I really wish you would allow me call you a cab, or at least let me drive you home,” Harry fretted.

“Nah, we're good. Besides, I gotta stop and get a few things on the way home.” The truth was it was Eggsy's night to visit the food bank. He also wanted to pop into the charity shop by his flat to see if they had received any winter coats for adults. “Thanks though. You ready, love?”

“Yes momma!” Ollie took his mother's hand before he turned to Harry and smiled. “Thank you for letting me come to play, Mr. Harry.”

Harry chuckled and kneeled down to the toddler’s eye level. “It was my pleasure. I look forward to seeing you later this week. You make sure your mother gets home safely, alright?”

The toddler nodded his head once.

Harry watched Eggsy and Ollie walk down the pavement and stop occasionally to admire the Christmas lights on some of the nearby houses. Once they were completely out of sight, he returned to the warmth of his home and poured himself an after-dinner drink. It wasn't until later when he was settled into the oversized leather armchair by the fireplace that Harry realised he missed the sound of their laughter and singing.

He sat up and turned the dial on his vintage old radio and began scrolling through the stations until he found what he was looking for...

_“Here we are as in olden days…_

_Happy golden days of yore…_

_Faithfull friends who are dear to us…_

_Gather near to us once more…”_

Harry even surprised by himself when he started singing along with ol’ blue eyes. He looked around the sitting room, which was illuminated by the glow of a crackling fire, and his neighbour’s Christmas lights shining through the front windows, and suddenly recalled Ollie's questions from earlier regarding his lack of holiday decor. And that's when the alpha decided that it was indeed time that he hung a shining star upon the highest bow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" (no particular version)


	7. Chapter 7

_*Trigger Warning: unwanted advances._

“I swear, Harry. If ye don't stop yer moaning I'm gonna toss ye AND yer bloody lunch out of the car.”

“My apologies, Hamish. I simply cannot help it. This food is delicious,” Harry replied unapologetically as he devoured the remainder of his leftovers from the dinner that Eggsy made two nights ago.

“So ye have said,” Merlin huffed, concentrating on the road.

“Which of the local establishments do you think carries the best trees?” Harry asked nonchalantly.

“Pardon?”

“I would like to get a tree for my house this year. Of course, my first thought was the Christmas market, but I have also heard that there is a charming little place in South London that is well worth the visit. What do you think?”

“I think ye have lost yer damn mind. That’s what _I_ think.”

“I assure you that my mind is perfectly intact. Is there something wrong with trying to get into the holiday spirit?”

“Alright. Who the fuck are ye and what have ye done with Harold Fitzwilliam Darcy Hart?” Harry growled at the use of his atrocious full name and the Scotsman sniggered, clearly pleased that he managed to hit a nerve.

“I am perfectly fine. I am simply feeling festive this year, that is all.”

“That's not _all_ yer feeling,” Merlin snorted, parking the car in front of the precinct.

“I do not know what you mean.”

“Ye clearly fancy that omega.” Merlin looked at him knowingly, but Harry continued to stare through the windscreen. “Going to all the trouble of decorating yer home for Christmas, when you haven't done so in what, thirty years? Yer like a bloody bird building a colourful nest to try and attract a mate.”

“You could not be more wrong.”

“Harry. I'm nae saying all of this to be an arse”—Harry looked at him sideways— “alright, not to be a _complete_ arse. I just don't want ye to end up getting hurt.”

“Aw Hamish. Has your heart suddenly grown three sizes?”

“Och! Fuck ye and yer fucking feelings then. How about that?”

“I appreciate your concern, Hamish. I do. But I am fine. Eggsy is an employee and nothing more. Yes, I hope that decorating my home will help make him and his son feel more comfortable and welcome when they visit, but I am also doing this for me. I have sat out far too many joyous occasions throughout the years. And I do not know why, but now feels like it is the right time to rejoin the world.”

Merlin sighed heavily and the two alphas sat in silence, watching the snow fall.

“Tristan and Kay's,” Merlin murmured.

“Pardon?”

“Tristan and Kay's,” the Scotsman repeated. “It's the best Christmas tree farm in the area. Roxy and I get ours from them every year. They even have hot cocoa and a little shop that sells handmade goods, so the omega and his bairn might enjoy going with ye.”

“That is a splendid idea, Hamish. I will suggest it to Eggsy when he comes over later this evening. Thank you.”

“Aye. Now can we please go back to work? I'd like to leave on time today, and ye don't want to be late meeting yer omega.”

Harry was too preoccupied with planning out the weekend in his head that he didn't even bother commenting on the Scotsman’s choice of words. Merlin smirked knowingly. 

\---- ----

“Wow! S’like magic, momma!” Ollie exclaimed after watching Eggsy scan his brand-new Oyster card.

Eggsy had tried to refuse the card when a private courier delivered it to his flat earlier, but it turns out Harry Hart can be one stubborn bastard when he wants to be. The alpha insisted on providing him with an Oyster card so that he could use it for commuting to and from work. Harry even went so far as to make it a condition of Eggsy's employment, which left the omega with no choice but to accept.

The main reason Eggsy fought him on it is because he hates feeling like a charity case. He also wasn't looking forward to being packed into a train with a bunch of strangers and their scents. But hey, Ollie was excited about riding the train, and now he didn't have make the long trek with his toddler in the bitter cold.

Eggsy swiftly carried Ollie through the busy station, hoping that he could find a seat on the train so he wouldn't have to ride it standing with his toddler in tow. Unfortunately, the car was already packed full of commuters by the time he climbed on board, but thankfully a kind beta noticed his dilemma and graciously offered up his seat so the mother and son could sit.

“S’like the Polar Eggs-press, momma!” Ollie shouted, making Eggsy chuckle and earning a chorus of _Ahh’s_ from other passengers.

Eggsy couldn't help but admire the look of wonder on his son’s face as the train sped out of the station, but it also sparked a small twinge of guilt. The toddler was easily mesmerised by the simplest things and it made Eggsy feel like he was letting him down somehow. He wished that he could give his child more experiences. And that’s why the gig with Harry was so important. Apart from it keeping him out of trouble with the law, it was a real chance for Eggsy to prove himself. If he does a good enough job, Harry might even give him a recommendation; and a recommendation from a posh alpha like Harry Hart could open so many doors.

“Your son is adorable,” the alpha woman sitting next to him said with a fond look. “How old is he?”

“Thanks, he's three,” Eggsy replied coyly.

“M’ almost four,” Ollie chimed in, holding up four fingers on his gloved hand.

“You're such a big boy. You must be excited for Christmas, hmm?” she asked sweetly. Ollie nodded and rested his head against his mother's chest. “Mine are too. I have a six-year-old, a five-year-old, and a set of triplets his age,” she told Eggsy.

“Oh my days. That's a full house.”

“You're telling me,” she laughed proudly. “Are you meeting your mate in the city?”

Eggsy quickly tried to shrug his jacket higher, but it was too late. The alpha had already looked him over and noticed his unmarked neck. Her scent suddenly changed from warm and friendly to cold and hostile, and she noticeably turned her nose up at the single omegan parent until it was time for her to get off the train.

“Bye bye!” Ollie waved to the woman, but she pointedly ignored him.

Eggsy grabbed hold of Ollie's hand and kissed it, easily distracting him from being snubbed by the uppity bitch. He doesn’t care that people look down on him, but he hates when they act that way towards an innocent child.

New passengers shuffled aboard and an athletically-built alpha (who looked like he was fresh out of secondary school) was all-too eager to snag the vacant spot next to Eggsy. He sat obnoxiously close and even draped his arm over the omega’s seat at one point.

“How's it going?”

“Alright,” Eggsy replied flatly, refusing to make eye contact with him. He wanted to ignore the prick completely, but he knew that pissing off an alpha where there was nowhere to escape probably wasn't the best idea.

The alpha continued to try and engage Eggsy in small talk, but the omega focused all of his attention on his child instead. And either the guy couldn't take a hint, or he simply didn't care whether Eggsy was interested or not, because he kept at it. He eventually leaned in closer and ran his finger down the omega's back, stopping right above the waistline of his jeans, smirking all the while. Eggsy shot out of his seat and grabbed hold of an overhead handrail a few steps away in an attempt to put some space between them.

The alpha pinned Eggsy with a cold glare, but the omega ignored him and started playing the alphabet game with his son.

“A is for?”

“Apple!” Ollie shouted.

“B is for?”

“Um. Jingle bells!”

Eggsy laughed. “Close, love. Try again.”

\---- ----

“Are you two alright?!” Harry shouted, running outside to meet Eggsy and his sobbing toddler on the front walkway. “What happened?”

“We're alright,” Eggsy replied in his mom voice. “Some jerk on the train grabbed my arse when we was getting off. It upset him is all.” He bounced the child in his arms, trying his best to comfort him but to no avail.

Harry immediately saw red and uttered a deep guttural sound of anger that was so powerful it shook the nearby houses, causing snow to fall off the rooftops. It also made both the child and his mother go dead silent.

The alpha's growl had attracted the attention of a few neighbours and they could be seen peering out their windows and standing on their stoops, trying to figure out what was going on.

“It is freezing out here. Let's get you both inside.”

Harry guided Eggsy to sit on the velvet green settee in the sitting room and then helped the omega remove the child's winter gear. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned a short while later carrying a tray topped with tea and biscuits and some hot cider for the child.

“Hurt you, momma?” Ollie hiccupped, lightly caressing Eggsy's cheek.

“No baby. That nasty alpha surprised me is all, but I'm alright. Everything's gonna be okay. I promise,” Eggsy tried to reassure him.

“No okay!” Ollie stubbornly shook his head.

Harry could resonate with the pup’s inner turmoil. From infancy, alphas feel an innate responsibility to protect omegas. When Harry was Oliver's age, he would fly off the handle if someone even so much as looked at his mother, or one of his nannies the wrong way. The child was especially upset because he could feel his mother's fear and distress through their bond.

”Oliver, I know how much you want to protect your mother and want to keep him safe,” Harry spoke softly, kneeling in front of the sniffling child. “What that alpha did was very wrong and you have every right to be upset. But your mother is an adult and he can take care of himself. You must have faith in him and believe him when he tells you that everything is okay.”

Eggsy rubbed comforting circles on Ollie's back until the child's sniffling subsided, and then his attention was averted from the scary ordeal to the yummy beverage that was waiting for him on the coffee table.

“Thanks, Harry,” Eggsy said softly, accepting a cup of tea from the alpha's hands. “And sorry if we caused a scene in front of your neighbours.”

“Please,” Harry snorted. “All the things I could tell you about _them_. You would think I was re-counting a soap opera.”

“ _Really?”_ Eggsy said breathily. “Guess everyone's got their secrets then.”

“They do indeed. Care for a little topping off?” Harry then asked, waving towards his extensive scotch and whisky collection in the corner of the room.

_“Yesss Harry.”_

\---- ----

“I never knew that making your own flatbread could be so easy,” Harry admitted. The alpha helped himself to a fourth slice of flatbread topped with rocket, feta, and strawberries.

“And it's a great way to get certain people to eat their vegetables,” Eggsy added, darting his eyes towards his toddler.

“I can have one more slice, please?” Ollie pleaded, proving Eggsy point.

“Yes, you may. Do you want the barbecue chicken one, or the same kind that Harry has?” Eggsy asked him.

“Same as Mr. Harry, please,” Ollie replied bashfully. Ever since their little talk earlier, the toddler has been attached to Harry's hip, and imitating the older alpha's every move.

“You have exceptional manners, young man,” Harry praised him and child beamed. After he was done eating, Harry leaned back in his chair and pat his stomach appreciatively. “I am afraid I will have to have my suits altered if I keep eating at this rate.”

Eggsy smiled proudly. “Then my work here is done.”

“Momma, we gonna cook for Mr. Harry again soon, right?”

“Yes, love. We’ll be back to cook over the weekend,” Eggsy confirmed.

“Oh yes, that reminds me. I was wondering if the two of you might like to accompany me on an outing this weekend? I would like to get a tree for the sitting room and I was planning on visiting a tree farm north of here. I am told that it is child-friendly and it also has a small market that sells all natural and organic foods.”

“That sounds fun. What time was you thinking?”

“I was thinking that we could leave after breakfast on Saturday?” Harry replied.

“Yeah okay,” the omega tried to reply casually, but he still ended up sounding giddy as a schoolboy.


	8. Chapter 8

_“Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open SLEIGH!”_

Ollie clapped his hands and kicked his little legs in delight. “Again!”

“No, we’ve listened to that song three times now. How’s about we listen to the next track, hmm?” Eggsy suggested.

“No, momma. Want more Jingle Bells, please.”

“Oh, how can you possibly say no to that face?” Harry glanced at Eggsy from the driver's seat, mimicking the little boy’s adorable pout and repetitive pleas.

It was a sunny Saturday morning and the three of them were on their way to the Christmas tree farm. They were only eight minutes into the hour-long drive and Eggsy knew that giving into the toddler’s demands was going to make the trip feel a hell of a lot longer. But then Harry had to go and play him like that... so what's an omega to do?

“Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you,” Eggsy laughed and shook his head. He hit the back button on the car stereo and the percussion of sleigh bells started to play for the fourth time.

\---- ----

“Ah, this looks lovely,” Harry declared approvingly as he pulled his black Mercedes into the car lot for Tristan and Kay's.

“Mr. Harry, you no singed the best part,” Ollie groaned as the final verse of his new favourite Christmas song came to an end... for the twenty-third time.

“My apologies, Oliver. I shall make it up to you on the drive home,” Harry promised, then turned to Eggsy and whispered, “You distract him while I throw the CD into the woods.”

Eggsy barked out a laugh and held up his hands. “Hey! I tried to warn ya, but you didn't want to listen to me.”

“We can get out now, momma?” Ollie asked, eagerly peering through the back windows.

“Yes, love. We're here.” Eggsy turned around and gave Ollie his best ‘your momma means business’ face, then spoke firmly. “There's lots of people here, so you can't go running off, alright? I want you to stay in my sight at all times.”

“K momma.”

Eggsy double checked his day bag before taking Ollie out of his safety seat, then he went about getting him ready for a walk through the woods.

“Sorry, Harry. We’ll be done now in a minute,” Eggsy apologised, trying to hurry.

“There is no need to apologise, Eggsy. I understand that these things take time. Please do not rush on my account,” Harry replied kindly, standing protectively by their side.

Ollie had only taken a few steps, but was already having a blast. He stomped triumphantly on small piles of snow with his brand-new dinosaur-themed snow boots, which paired perfectly with his brand-new dinosaur-themed mittens and pom hat; all of which were courtesy of Harry Hart.

The child was thrilled about his new winter accessories almost as much as Eggsy was thrilled about the deep-blue peacoat that Harry gave to _him_. Harry claimed the coat had been taking up much-needed space in his guest closet for years and that Eggsy was doing him favour by taking it off his hands, but the omega had his suspicions. And since the alpha had given him the coat in front of Ollie earlier, he didn't want to refuse it and risk making the older man look bad in front of his number one fan.

“I can hold your hand too, Mr. Harry?” Ollie asked him. Harry looked to Eggsy for permission first and then bowed his head graciously when the omega smiled in approval.

The toddler swung happily between the two adults as they continued making their way onto the farm. It was packed full of people and there were dozens of small children running around. They stopped at the Hot Cocoa Stand and Harry purchased each of them of cup, then they ventured out into the trees in search of the perfect one.

“Oo! ‘Dis one’s pretty!” Ollie beamed, pointing to a thin Fraser Fir that was roughly his height.

“Hmm. I was thinking of something bigger. Something my height, or perhaps even a little bit taller,” Harry explained. “Do you think you could help me find one like that?”

“Yes! I can help!” Ollie marched a few steps ahead, stopping to inspect every large tree along the way.

“He is taking this rather seriously,” Harry chuckled.

“‘Course he is. He wants to impress you,” Eggsy replied, gazing adoringly at his son.

“He is a remarkable child.”

“Thanks, Harry. But... um... you'll tell me if it gets to be too much, yeah?”

Harry looked at him perplexed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean... people bringing their kids with ‘em to work ain't exactly the norm, is it? I just don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of the situation is all. If you decide you don't want a toddler constantly under foot, or if we're taking up too much of your free time just tell me and I'll figure something else out. Swear down.”

Eggsy was filled with trepidation and Harry hated how the omega felt like he needed to try and appease him all the time.

“Eggsy, I enjoy having Oliver around. I know it has only been a few weeks, but I have grown quite fond of him. Christmas has never been a particularly joyous holiday in my experience, but there is something to be said about looking at it all through a child’s eyes.”

They continued forward in silence for a bit until Harry finally worked up the courage the ask the question that he’s been dying to know the answer to ever since he learned that Eggsy has a child. “I know this is ungentlemanly, but may I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure,” Eggsy shrugged.

“Is Oliver’s father involved at all?” Harry had run a background check on the omega when he and Merlin were investigating him, but it didn’t reveal anything with regards to his family or relationships. It wasn’t uncommon for omegas to have clean backgrounds, especially if they were unbonded.

Eggsy took a few sips of cocoa before answering. “He don't want nothing to do with me or Ollie. He literally kicked me to the curb when I found out I was up the duff. Said being tied down with an omega and a pup wasn't part of his plan and that it would ‘hinder his career’ or some shit like that.”

“Well, he sounds like a complete idiot.”

Eggsy snorted. “That he is. I mean, yeah Ollie was unexpected and it's been rough raising ‘em on my own and all, but I wouldn't go back and change anything. He's the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“You are a marvelous mother, Eggsy. No, I mean it,” Harry said firmly when Eggsy rolled his eyes at the compliment. “You have been dealt a bad hand, but you continue persevere. You should be proud of your accomplishments. No matter how big or small they may be.”

The two of them gazed silently into each other's eyes until the toddler’s ecstatic squealing snapped them out of their reveries.

“I found it, Mr. Harry!” Ollie shouted, jumping up and down, pointing at a tall Norway Spruce.

“Oo! This one’s real nice,” Eggsy agreed, joining Ollie.

Harry walked around the tree and inspected it carefully before addressing the toddler.

“I think this tree is positively perfect. Well done, my boy.” Ollie's smile shone like the sun and he repeated Harry's words of praise to himself over and over.

Harry went off to find an employee to assist them with procuring the tree, and Eggsy and Ollie stayed behind to stand guard.

“Momma... I like Mr. Harry.”

“I know you do, baby. Mr. Harry likes you too. He’s a very good friend to have.”

“And you like him too, right?”

“Yeah, of course I do.”

“Good. Mr. Harry likes you. He says you is boo-tiful.”

“He did?” Eggsy’s heart started to race. “When did he say that?”

“A long day ago. When we was cooking breakfast. Mr. Harry said you was the most boo-tiful person he’s ever seened, and I said yes too ‘cause my momma’s the prettiest and bestest momma ever.”

Eggsy leaned down and kissed Ollie's face repeatedly. “How did I get so lucky huh?” The child giggled in his mother's arms.

\---- ----

Eggsy and Ollie strolled through the farm's indoor store while Harry and a few of the employees worked on loading the tree up onto the roof of his car.

“What's that, momma?”

“Oo that's honeycomb.” Eggsy turned the package over in his hands. “See this? It's beeswax and that's pure honey straight from the hive.”

“We can get it?” Ollie asked.

Eggsy flipped it over and his eyes bulged at the price tag. _£89?_ _You're out of your damn mind,_ he mentally chastised the product. “Not today, love.”

Even though Eggsy has worked for Harry for a couple of weeks now, he doesn't have any extra cash to spare. All of the money he's earned so far has gone towards repenting for his crimes and paying down his overwhelming pile of bills.

“Can I help you with anything today?” A bubbly red-headed saleswoman with an irritatingly sweet voice asked Eggsy.

“Nah. We're just looking, thanks.”

“Well, if you're looking for the perfect Christmas gift, might I recommend something from our culinary collection?” She led him over to the corner of the store where a handful of omegas were ogling different kitchen items. “We have curated a collection of handmade products, including a unique selection of linens, tableware, and kitchen utensils. We also have terrific cookbooks. In fact, we currently have signed copies of the new “Holidays with Hesketh” cookbook.” The saleswoman handed him the book and it was all he could do not to throw it across the room.

Thankfully, the saleswoman turned her attention towards another omega who was perusing the store and Eggsy slammed the book down on the closest shelf.

“Ah, there you two are. Find anything you like?” Harry asked, rubbing his hands together after having spent the last fifteen minutes standing outside and instructing a bunch of beta teenagers on how to _properly_ secure a tree onto the roof of a car _without_ scratching the paint.

“Nah. There’s too much to choose from. Um... I have to use the loo. Would you mind watching ‘em for a bit?” Eggsy asked, looking everywhere except at Harry.

“Of course.” Harry took Oliver's hand and frowned after the omega. “Oliver, did anything happen while I was gone?”

“Me and momma shopped. I saw honey!”

“I see. And did your mother talk to anyone?”

“Mmhhmm. The nice lady.” Oliver pointed at the red-headed saleswoman. “She gave momma a book, but momma put it back.” He pointed to the shelf where Eggsy had discarded the cookbook facedown.

Harry picked up the book and saw that it was a signed copy. He assumed that Eggsy had put it back and became upset because he couldn't afford the jacked-up price tag.

“Oliver, can you keep a secret?” The child nodded. “I am going to purchase this book as a Christmas present for your mother, but I want it to be a surprise, so you cannot say anything to him. Alright?”

“Yay! A surprise for momma!”

Harry hurried to the counter and explained the surprise to the saleswoman behind the register as well (which she, of course, thought was adorable) and she processed the transaction as quickly as possible. She gift-wrapped the item in birch tree wrapping paper and then placed it in a cloth bag and handed it back to Harry just as Eggsy returned from the loo.

“Momma okay?” Ollie asked, immediately noticing the omega's red puffy eyes and slightly sour scent.

“I’m okay, love. It's just my allergies acting up is all. Mind if we get going?” he asked Harry.

Harry steered them back to car, exchanging smiles and giggles with Oliver, whom was clearly enjoying being part of a planned surprise.

“Oi! What are you two up to?” Eggsy asked suspiciously, giving them both the stink eye.

“NOTHING!” Both alphas answered in unison. The omega snorted at their poor attempt to play it cool.

\---- ---- 

“So, are you gonna tell me what's up, or am I gonna have to get it out of you?” Eggsy asked Harry as they pulled out of the lot.

“I know not of what you speak,” Harry denied, focusing all of his attention on the road ahead.

“Fine. Have it your way then.” Eggsy mischievously grinned. “Hey Olls, wanna hear them Jingle Bells again?”

“Ooo! Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! Mr. Harry you gots to sing too!”

“That's a great idea, love. You _ready_ , Harry?” Eggsy shot him a cheeky wink.

Harry's grip on the steering wheel visibly tightened as the far too cheerful song started blaring out of the speakers once again. “You play dirty, omega,” he lightly growled under his breath.

\---- ----

Ollie threw a small fit when it was time to leave Harry's after such an eventful day. The toddler had so much fun helping the older alpha decorate the tree while also intermittently popping into the kitchen to ‘help’ Eggsy make his special aubergine lasagne that he didn't want to leave. And Eggsy couldn't really blame him. He too felt a twinge of sadness when it was time to go. It was like a magical spell of some sort had been broken.

Eggsy hurried along the pavement as he carried Ollie home to their flat, carefully stepping over discarded liquor bottles and abandoned takeaway containers that littered the ground along the way. The toddler had fallen asleep on the train and Eggsy was hoping that he would remain asleep, or it was going to be a _long_ night.

He was extra careful not to jostle Ollie awake as he ascended the five flights of stairs leading up to their flat, and he smiled triumphantly when he rounded the corner without his son stirring.

Sadly though, his moment of triumph came to an abrupt end when he noticed the piece of paper with bright-red bolded letters affixed to the door of his flat.


	9. Chapter 9

_*Trigger Warning: unwanted sexual advances_

  
“Sorry kid, but there ain't nothing I can do.”

Eggsy's hands shook at his griped the eviction notice that he discovered waiting for him when he returned home last night.

“But I'm only a couple weeks behind now, and I can get completely caught up after like two more pay periods,” Eggsy reasoned, chasing his landlord around the makeshift front office that smelled like a damn ash tray.

“You've been saying that for months.” The man shuffled around a bunch of papers, then lit another cigarette. “It ain't nothing personal, it's business.”

“But... we ain't got nowhere else to go,” Eggsy started to cry. “And it's almost Christmas. Can you _please_ just give me till the end of the month? _Please_?” he begged.

The rough-looking middle-aged beta looked Eggsy up and down, then blew a puff of smoke in his face. “Alright look. Maybe you and me can settle this a different way, eh?”

“What do you mean?” Eggsy asked, sounding hopeful, but also confused.

“Sheila’s at the salon and won't be back for a few hours. How's about you come upstairs and... _earn_ your keep, so to speak.” He brushed a dirty bandaged hand down Eggsy's cheek.

Eggsy jumped back and snarled at him. “Fuck you!”

“That's the plan,” the beta snickered. “Take it or leave it.”

Eggsy has never run out of a place so fast. The beta shouted a bunch of obscenities in his wake, but the omega didn't look back.

He called up Brandon and explained the situation (but left out the part about the landlord's advances) and his friend said they could come stay with him and Jamal. Eggsy knew that meant he and Ollie would be sleeping on their couch until he could afford to get a new place, but it was better than living on the streets.

\---- ----

“You have been awfully quiet this week. Is everything alright?” Harry asked Eggsy, helping himself to another serving of salad.

“Yeah, guess M’ just overtired is all. Haven't been sleeping much,” Eggsy shrugged, pushing the food around his plate.

Eggsy hasn't slept through the night ever since he was informed that he was being evicted. He’s tried to remain positive in front of Ollie, but it was hard. Just when he thought that everything was going right, the universe decides to throw another obstacle in his path. He feels like he's never allowed to be happy, or able to let his guard down.

To make matters worse, Ollie could tell that something was wrong and has been extra clingy and downright moody as a result. Eggsy has tried explaining the move to him, but the toddler was too young to fully understand and so he would become upset whenever the omega packed something of his. So Eggsy has resided to packing boxes late at night while Ollie slept; forfeiting a good night’s sleep for the sake of his child’s comfort.

“Perhaps some fresh air would help,” Harry proposed and pulled three shiny red and green tickets from out of his suit pocket, then slid them across the table towards Eggsy.

“ _London’s Annual Christmas Festival_?” Eggsy read out loud, looking the tickets over.

“Have you ever been?” Harry asked and Eggsy shook his head no. “They have a wide variety of festive activities to choose from, such as ice skating, arts and crafts, and baking workshops, as well as different shows and light displays. These tickets are good for any day of the week, but I thought perhaps we could go tomorrow since it is your night off from the pub and the weather is supposed to be pleasant.”

Eggsy wanted to tell Harry that he really needed that time to get some more packing done, but the older alpha was wholly unaware of their current conundrum. But then glanced over at Ollie who was quietly eating his supper and looked as tired as Eggsy felt. That’s when he decided that they both deserved a bit of holiday cheer.

“Yeah, sounds fun.” Eggsy visibly perked up.

\---- ----

“Wowwwwww,” Ollie gasped as they strolled through the entrance for the Christmas Festival.

The sound of laughter, carnival rides, and holiday music filled the air. A spectacle of twinkling-coloured lights hung overhead and covered every available surface, and artificial snow sprinkled down from the sky, adding a touch of magic to the winter wonderland.

“Look it momma! Horseys!” Ollie pointed excitedly.

“That's called a carousel, love. Do you wanna go on it? You coming Harry?”

“Oh no, thank you. You two go on ahead.”

“Come on... It'll be fun,” Eggsy insisted.

“I am afraid I am much too old for carousel rides, Eggsy,” Harry argued.

“Oi! Don't give me none of that. Age ain't nothing but a number. And have you looked in a mirror? You're right fit, Harry. Could give any of these blokes a run for their money,” Eggsy gestured around to no one in particular. “Ollie wants you to come too, right baby?”

“Right,” the toddler replied seriously, holding out his hand for Harry to take.

The older man smiled and took the boy's hand, then the three of them joined the short line.

Once it was their turn, they rushed to claim the horses of their choice. Harry chose an elegant black stallion that was trimmed with gold, while Eggsy and Ollie chose a white and blue horse that had a pair of outstretched wings. A whimsical version of “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” began to play and the ride started to spin.

“Whoaaaa!" Ollie giggled, gripping the reigns. Eggsy laughed and held him tight.

Harry turned to look at them and was warmed by the sight of mother and son laughing and enjoying themselves immensely. Iridescent lights swirled around the pair and Harry doesn't think he's ever witnessed anything so beautiful.

“We is racing you, Mr. Harry!”

“Is that so? Well, I bet I can win!” Harry challenged, leaning forward on his horse.

“Oi! We can take ‘em, right Olls?” Eggsy whispered. “Giddy up!”

“Get up!” Ollie yelled, trying to mimic his mother.

Eggsy and Ollie leaned forward on their horse, which was situated only a few feet in front of Harry’s, and encouraged it to go faster.

The ride eventually slowed down and the older man pulled out a handkerchief and waived it in the air like a white flag.

“We did it!” Eggsy cheered.

“Yay! You lost, Mr. Harry!” Ollie gloated.

“Not fair. Your horse can fly. You had an advantage,” the older man huffed jokingly.

He helped Eggsy and Ollie climb down, then rested his hand on Eggsy's lower back without thinking anything of it.

“You have such a beautiful family,” the ride worker told them as they stepped off the carousel. It was so lovely to hear that neither Harry or Eggsy bothered to correct her.

Up next was a pint-sized kiddie train ride just for Ollie. Eggsy and Harry waved at the toddler has he rode in a blue car through a miniature village, staring openmouthed at everything he passed. Then they played a few carnival games and Eggsy won Ollie a stuffed reindeer in a ring-toss game; impressing Harry with his steady hand-eye coordination in the process. And then Harry treated them all to warm pretzels and they sat and watched a puppet show about a young wolf trying to run away to Lapland in search of Father Christmas.

“What's next?” Eggsy asked.

“I was thinking we could go ice skating?” Harry suggested as he disposed of their trash.

“You know how to skate?” Eggsy raised a brow.

“I used to skate all of the time when I was a child. Though it has been a while, I imagine it is like riding a bicycle.”

IT. WAS. NOTHING. LIKE. RIDING. A. BICYCLE.

Harry griped the wall enclosing the ice-skating rink for dear life as dozens of people, including elderly couples and young children, zipped by him.

“Alright, Harry?” Eggsy asked, biting his lip to keep from laughing.

“Oh yes. I am perfectly fine, thank you,” he replied on unsteady legs as his skates slid in opposite directions. “Are you both enjoying yourselves?”

“Momma and me skated!”

“Yes, and you did a splendid job of it. Your mother is an excellent teacher. You must have had lessons?” he asked Eggsy, carefully inching his way towards the exit.

“Nah. This is my first time. I used to do gymnastics when I was little though, so I guess some of those lessons have come in handy,” Eggsy replied nonchalantly.

Harry stared at him in disbelief. “This is your first-time skating and yet you managed to pull off a perfect axel jump?”

“S’no big deal,” Eggsy shrugged.

“Do the spin again momma!”

“You wanna see it again?” Eggsy laughed. “Alright, stay here with Harry.” He transferred Ollie's hand into Harry’s, then skated towards the centre of the rink.

The toddler cheered after him and Harry couldn't help but join in. Eggsy started off slow, then quickly built-up speed and used one foot to spring up in the air, where he spun around as gracefully as a ballerina before he landed perfectly back on the ice.

Fellow skaters and several onlookers clapped for the young man, and Harry ended up growling at group of twenty-something alphas who thought it would be appropriate to cat-call the omega.

“Good job, momma!”

“Thanks, love,” Eggsy chuckled upon his return. “You wanna skate around one more time?” The child repeatedly shouted ‘yes’ in reply. “You wanna come, Harry?”

“I would rather watch you both from here, thank you.”

Eggsy grabbed hold of Harry's hand. “Come on, let go of the wall, I got you.”

“Eggsy I do—

“ _I got you_. Trust me.”

The alpha reluctantly allowed Eggsy to guide him away from the safety of the wall and into the steady flow of skaters. It took him a few tries, and there was a whole lot of cursing, which was promptly followed by chiding from the toddler, but Harry finally managed to skate all the way around the rink without wiping out.

“Good job, Mr. Harry!”

“Thank you, Oliver. But I could never have done it without your mother.”

“Momma’s the bestest!”

“He is indeed,” Harry agreed, his eyes glowing with fondness.

They topped off their evening with a visit to Father Christmas. Ollie was ecstatic when it was finally his turn to chat with the jolly old man and could barely sit still throughout their conversation.

“Ho! Ho! Ho! Have you been a good boy this year?” Father Christmas asked him.

“Mmhhmm,” Ollie nodded, surely. “Right momma?” he called out to Eggsy.

“He's always good,” Eggsy confirmed, taking pic after pic with his mobile. Yup, he just turned into one of ‘those’ mums and he doesn't care. His little one was the cutest kid on earth and he needed at least a hundred pictures of this precious moment.

“Well then, tell me what you want most for Christmas, young man.” Ollie tapped his finger on his chin, looked back at his mother, then at Harry, before whispering something in Father Christmas’s ear. “Oh... I see,” the old man replied thoughtfully.

“I sent you a letter too. Momma mailed it.”

“That was very thoughtful of you. You have a good heart and your mother must be very proud of you,” said Father Christmas, flashing Eggsy a bright smile. He then whispered something to the toddler and Ollie nodded his head excitedly.

“Thank you, Father Christmas,” Ollie hugged him goodbye. “Momma! Mr. Harry! Look it! I got a candy cane!”

“That will be a delicious treat to have after dinner,” Harry replied, safely guiding Eggsy and Ollie back through the crowd.

“So Olls, what did you ask Father Christmas for, hmm?” Eggsy asked.

“Can't tell you momma.”

“Oi!” Eggsy placed his hand on his heart, pretending to be wounded. “You're gonna keep it a secret from your own mum?”

“Perhaps you can tell me, Oliver?” Harry tried persuading him, supposing that Eggsy wanted to know so that he could try and procure whatever toy it was that the child wanted. “I promise to keep it a secret.”

“Uh-uh, Mr. Harry. No tell you or momma. Only Father Christmas,” Ollie replied firmly, folding his arms over his chest.

“My little man doesn't play around when it comes to Christmas,” Eggsy laughed, picking up Ollie and carrying him the rest of the way.

“Thanks for taking me and momma to have fun, Mr. Harry.”

“Yes, thanks for today, Harry. Can't remember the last time we had such a good time.”

“You are welcome. And thank you both for the pleasure of your company.” The alpha smiled and wrapped a protective arm around Eggsy’s shoulder as they leisurely made their way back to the car.


	10. Chapter 10

_*Trigger Warning: physical assault and mild mention of coerced medical treatment._

“No momma! I want bunny! Want my bunny now!” Ollie screamed, stomping his foot.

“You can have your bunny again real soon, my love. We have to put all of our things in these boxes so we can bring them with us to Uncle Brandon and Uncle Jamal’s house,” Eggsy replied patiently. The toddler hasn't even played with the stuffed bunny in months, but he was still completely distraught at the sight of it being packed away in a moving box.

Ollie was having hard time adjusting to reality following what was one of the best days of his young life and was in a particularly foul mood. The Christmas Festival was a much-needed break from the shit show that is their lives, but they couldn't live in dreamland forever. Eggsy needed to finish packing and had limited time to get everything done, and Ollie fighting him every step of the way wasn't helping.

“No momma! Not my monkey too. Want monkey!” he made grabby hands for the stuffed monkey that Eggsy added to the box.

“Baby, I am not taking away your toys forever. You can have them back in a few days,” Eggsy replied patiently, taping up the box and labelling it with a permanent marker.

“Mean momma!”

Eggsy held his breath and closed his eyes, then started counting to ten in a desperate attempt to calm down. He knows the toddler is scared and doesn't understand what's happening, but he’s _really_ trying his patience.

"Olls, if you don't stop yelling and don't start listening to me, then you're gonna have to go in time out.” The toddler abruptly stopped whining and his eyes widened at the threat.

Eggsy's not even sure if Ollie fully understands what a timeout means since he's never actually done anything to warrant a punishment before. But hey, it seemed to do the trick because he finally calmed down and was cooperative.

Mother and son then spent the rest of the day working together to pack up the flat. Eggsy made sure to praise Ollie for all of his help, and they celebrated their hard work with homemade chicken tacos for supper.

“Momma, we can still have tacos when we go to Uncle Brandon’s house, right?”

“Of course, baby.”

“And we can see Mr. Harry again soon too, right?”

“Yes. We'll see Harry again after the move. What's wrong, love?” Eggsy panicked when the toddler suddenly started crying and hid his face behind messy salsa-covered hands.

“Father Christmas is no gonna find me now momma!”

Eggsy pulled Ollie into his lap and wiped off his hands with a napkin as he rested his chin in the crook of the boy's neck. “Olls, I promise that Father Christmas isn't gonna have any trouble finding you. He's magic so he knows whenever children move to new homes. But if you want, I can help you write him a new letter and we can mail it to Lapland tomorrow just to be sure, yeah?”

“K momma,” he sniffled. Eggsy rocked him for a bit and peppered his face with kisses before cleaning up their paper plates.

“Alright. Let's get you in the bath, love.”

“No bath,” Ollie shook his head, smiling cheekily.

“ _Yes_ _bath_ ,” Eggsy laughed and made a quick grab for the toddler, which made him squeal and run-away giggling. Eggsy chased after him and was just about to catch him when the doorbell rang.

The omega was still laughing when he opened the door, which he usually never does without checking the peephole first, but he was distracted in that moment, not to mention exhausted after an emotional week.

The smell of cigarettes filled his nose and he didn’t even have a chance to process what was happening before everything went dark.

\---- ----

Harry blindly searched for his mobile in the dark as it continued to vibrate on top of his nightstand.

“Hart speaking.”

“Harry?”

“Hamish?” Harry sat up in bed and spun his digital alarm clock around, groaning when he saw that it was one o’clock in the morning. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Aye. Harry, I’m calling ‘cause there's been an incident involving yer omega.”

Harry shot out of bed, suddenly wide awake. “What happened? Is he alright? Where is he?”

“He’s in the A&E at Stanhope. He's banged up a bit, but he's gonna be alright.”

“Oliver! Where is hi—

“The bairn is with him. He's not been harmed. But the hospital is refusing to release the lad without an alpha present to vouch for his ability to take care of the child.”

“Of all the sexists and pig-headed bullshit!”

“Aye. Lamorak and Bedivere are there now. I told them ye would be coming down there. They promised to stay with the lad till ye get there.”

“Thank you, Hamish.”

Harry rushed to get dressed, not caring about his appearance for the first time in his life.

The alpha broke nearly every traffic law on the drive to the hospital, and flashed his badge to the employees working at the front desk at the A&E when they tried to slow him down.

He didn’t even need to ask where Eggsy was because Ollie's cries led him straight to them.

“Eggsy?” Harry breathed. He immediately became enraged at sight of the omega sporting a black eye and a busted lip, as well as other scrapes and bruises on his face and hands. “Oh Eggsy. What happened?”

Eggsy was propped up in a bed with Ollie clinging to his torso, soaking his hospital gown with tears. Eggsy kept his gaze down and refused to look at anyone.

“Oliver.” Harry reached out and gently picked up the toddler, who went into his arms without a fight. “Your mother is going to be alright. You are both safe now and I am not going to let anything happen to either of you. I promise.” Harry bounced him until he eventually fell asleep, then the alpha placed him into one of the visitor’s chairs and draped his jacket over him.

“How’d you know we was here?” Eggsy asked quietly.

“My friend, Hamish, was on call and recognised your name when officers were called to the scene. “Can you please tell me what happened?”

Eggsy fiddled with his IV and tears began rolling down his cheeks.

“We're being evicted. Have to be out by this weekend. Had some words with my landlord the other day and he... made a pass at me, but I told him to piss off. He came to my door right after me and Ollie ate supper last night and starts yelling at me, calling me a whore and shit and accusing me of telling his wife about ‘em being a creep. But I didn’t say nothing to her! I don't grass up anyone. Can keep my mouth shut. Next thing I know he starts punching me. All I could think about was protecting my pup so I fought him off and told Ollie to run and get help. Next thing I know, I'm in the hospital and some snobby doctor is telling me that I can't take my pup home without an alpha present ‘cause he thinks I'm an unfit mother.”

Harry has never been so angry in all his life. First, he wants to kill this slime ball landlord who dared lay a hand on his omega and scared their sweet pup. Then he wants to find this arrogant doctor and put him in his place. He also wants to scold Eggsy for not coming to him when he needed help, but he quickly remembers that he's not actually this young man’s alpha, so he waits a beat before responding.

“Eggsy, none of this is your fault.”

Eggsy huffed and crossed his arms. “You don't need to placate me, Harry. I know I'm a fucking mess. I mean look at me. I’m behind on every bill I have, and no matter how hard I work I can never seem to catch up. I can barely afford to feed Ollie on the nights I don't cook for you. I gotta skip meals most the time so I can make sure there's enough for ‘em to eat. Sometimes we gotta wear our jackets to bed ‘cause I can't afford to turn the heat up. I’ve had to sew Ollie new clothes outta some of my old ones ‘cause I can't afford to buy any and he's growing like a weed. Everything in my flat came from off the streets or outta a dumpster. And we've got fucking mice running around our place getting into everything. Oh, and Christmas is almost here and I haven't even opened the letters Olls wrote Father Christmas like a month ago ‘cause I can't afford to get ‘em a fucking present!”

Eggsy breathed heavily and his heart monitor was beeping like crazy. Harry didn’t know what else to say, so he leaned forward and enveloped the omega in a warm hug.

Eggsy doesn't know how much time passed, but Harry let him cry until all of his tears ran dry. The alpha then handed him a silk handkerchief and the omega giggled at how old fashioned and proper it was.

“Knock knock,” an arrogant alpha announced upon waltzing into the room without _actually_ knocking on the closed door. “Ah you must be his alpha. I'm Dr. Digby. Your omega has suffered a few nicks and bruises and a mild concussion, but he should feel better in no time, so long as he abides by my orders that is.”

“And did you explain these orders to _him_? He is the patient after all.”

“Well, I tried to, but he became rather hysterical. I had to give him something to help calm him down until we could locate you.”

“You fucking wanker!” Eggsy snapped, waking Ollie in the process.

The physician growled at the omega, but that made Harry growl too. And Harry's growl shook the whole hospital wing.

“If you don't control your omega then I'm going to have to call security.” The physician threatened.

“Do not threaten me, Dr. Digby,” Harry warned him, coolly. “Would you like me to recite every law that you have broken this evening?” The physician balked at him. “First, you threatened Mr. Unwin. Then you drugged him. Then you used his child to coerce him into receiving unwanted, and possibly even unnecessary, care. Then you assumed that I was his alpha and disclosed his private information and medical condition to me without his consent.”

“I don't... I don't...” the physician stammered. “I don't know who you think you are pal, but this is my hospital and I won't tolerate being spoken to like this.”

“My apologies. I should have introduced myself sooner. I am Chief Superintendent Harold Hart.” He flashed the man his badge and stared him down with a cold, icy glare.

The physician visibly shrank and began apologizing profusely.

Eggsy watched in shock as the physician even got down on his knees and apologised to _him_ directly, clearly on the verge of tears.

\---- ----

“Fuck me, Harry. You was amazing!” Eggsy whispered after Ollie fell back asleep.

“Thank you, Eggsy. If there is one thing that I cannot stand, it is poor manners. Someone needed to teach that prat a lesson.”

“I think he might have pissed himself,” the omega sniggered. “Ain't never seen a bloke so scared of a title before. Didn't know you was such a big shot, Mr. Chief Superintendent.”

Harry’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “It was not actually my title that frightened him. It was my surname,” he admitted. “As it so happens my great great grandparents founded this hospital and my family presently serves on the board. One phone call and I could easily have him removed.”

Eggsy whistled, impressed.

A nurse came into the room and gently removed Eggsy's IV, then helped him change into a pair of hospital pants and a plain white t-shirt that accentuated his toned torso and arms. Harry knew that it was most ungentlemanly to stare, but he couldn’t help it; Eggsy was a work of art.

“Suppose we should get moving, yeah? Wanna get this guy home and into bed,” Eggsy spoke quietly.

“You are not actually considering returning to your flat?” Harry replied, horrified by the idea of the omega going back there.

“Ain't got much of a choice. Can’t afford to stay in a hotel and Brandon lives on the other side of the city. We’ll be alright, Harry.”

“Come live with me.” The words fell out of Harry's mouth so fast that he didn't even have time to process what he was saying.

“Wot? Harry I... No, you've done enough for us already. I can't ask you to do nothing else.”

“You are not asking, I am _offering_. And there is no such thing as limitations on good deeds. You can stay in the guest room. We can even change the terms of our agreement to make your job a full-time live-in position if that will make you feel better about the arrangement?”

“Harry...”

“Please. I will not be able to sleep at night unless I know that both of you are safe,” Harry pleaded, running his hand through Eggsy's hair.

“Yes, Harry.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Morning, Mr. Harry!” Ollie yelled, running to greet him before he even made it all the way down the stairs.

This is has become a routine ever since Eggsy and Ollie moved in a week ago, and the older man found himself look forward to it with each new day.

“Good morning, Oliver. Did you sleep well?”

“Mmhhmm. I had nice dreams.”

“I am glad to hear it.” He picked up the child and hugged him. “Is your mother in the kitchen?”

“Yup. Momma’s making waffles!”

“Waffles you say? Shall we take a peek?” he whispered. Ollie giggled and they quietly tiptoed into the kitchen.

Eggsy was standing at the stove, scrambling eggs in a pan with chopped veggies, while singing and swaying his hips to the Christmas song playing on the radio:

_“The cold wind is blowing and the streets are getting dark…_

_I'm writing you a letter and I don't know where to start…._

_The bells will be ringing Saint John the Diving…_

_I get a little lonely everyday around this time….”_   
  


Harry managed to remain completely silent up until the moment that Eggsy started singing into his spatula like it was a microphone.

“Oi! How long have you two been standing there?” Eggsy demanded to know with hand on his hip. “It’s not nice to spy on people you know.”

“My apologies, omega. Please let me make it up to you.”

Harry held out his hand and Eggsy looked at him like he was completely crazy, but allowed the older man to pull him into a dance anyway.

“Yay!” Ollie clapped and cheered for them as they danced through the rest of the song:

_“I've got to know…_

_(Nobody ought to be alone on Christmas)…._

_Where do lonely hearts go…_

_(Nobody ought to be alone on Christmas)…_

_(Oh) Nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas…_

_\---- ----_

After breakfast was finished, Harry worked off some of the calories by building a snow maze in the backyard for Ollie to play in. The toddler was overly excited about the recently large snowfall that had blanketed all of London, and Eggsy wanted to take the boy outside to play so he could burn off some of that energy.

It took Harry a little over an hour to make a good size maze with big walls and lots of challenging twists and turns, and the toddler squealed with enthusiasm when Harry finally announced that it was ready.

“Whoa Harry! I can’t believe you did all this.” Eggsy breathed as he led Ollie out into the backyard.

Mother and son both stood in awe of Harry’s winter masterpiece. 

“I used to build snow mazes for Mr. Pickles. Like a certain _someone_ , he would have excess energy during the winter months and needed a way to release it; otherwise, he turned into a little shit.”

The omega has heard many stories about the man’s beloved terrier ever since he started working for Harry and made the mistake of trying to take a piss in the downstairs loo once. Both he and Ollie were absolutely terrified of the stuffed canine and its “creepy eyes” that Harry has since had to cover the poor creature with a tea towel until they either grew accustomed to its presence, or he relocates it.

“Oof!”

“Careful, pup,” Harry laughed, picking the toddler up off the ground and helping him stand upright again.

After a brief history lesson on the origins of mazes, and a detailed explanation on how this particular maze was designed to test Ollie’s senses, Harry was off to hide at the end of the maze. 

“I go which way, momma?”

“You gotta figure it out, love. Remember what Harry said? You gotta use your nose, eyes, and ears to find him.”

The child concentrated carefully on his surroundings, examining the path for clues as he vigilantly chose which turns to take. He soon found himself stuck at a crossroads and was deliberating on which way to go when a deep howl filled the morning air.

Ollie gasped and turned to his mother, “I hear him!” The toddler was off! He made a mad dash to the left, then bolted right, and then turned left again. “Found you! I found you, Mr. Harry!”

“Well done, Oliver!” Harry was so pleased that the toddler was successfully executing his abilities. A well-known trait amongst alphas is the exceptional hearing and strong sense of smell that they have, and it was important to nurture their wolf-like instincts from a young age. “Shall we go back and find your mother now?”

“Yes! Momma, we coming back!” Ollie shouted down the path, then led the way. “Momma no here,” he frowned when he discovered that Eggsy wasn’t where he last saw him.

“Hmm. Perhaps he went inside?” Harry turned around to look at the house and that’s when he was suddenly hit in the face with a ball of wet snow.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!” Eggsy barked.

“We got you, Mr. Harry!” Ollie giggled, joining his mother in celebration.

“I see how it is,” Harry muttered as he cleaned off his glasses. “Since I am a gentleman, I am going to give you both until the count of three, and then I am going to unleash the Hart Beast,” he said in a gravely serious tone. “One...”

“Run Olls!” Eggsy chuckled, grabbing hold of the child’s hand and dragging him behind the protective wall of snow that he built.

“Two... Three. ROAR!”

Eggsy and Ollie shrieked with laughter as the “beast” got closer. The toddler helped his mother throw some of the pre-made snowballs at the older alpha and they managed to hit his legs and chest.

“Oh no! Snowballs are my one true weakness,” Harry bellowed. “I can feel my power waning. One more hit and I fear I will meet a cold, bitter end.”

“You can do it, Olls!” Eggsy handed him the largest snowball he had in his arsenal and smiled encouragingly.

Ollie wound up his arm and took aim.

“You will never defeat the Hart Beast! Oop!” Harry groaned dramatically, then fell forward.

“I did it! I saved us momma!”

Eggsy high-fived the toddler, then ran over to check on the older alpha. “Um... alright Harry?”

“Yes, thank you. If you would be so kind as to help an old man up?” Eggsy rolled his eyes at Harry’s choice of words, but offered him his hand anyway. “Thank you, Eggsy. Aha!” He pulled the omega down with him and smushed a handful of snow in his face. Eggsy laughed hysterically.

“Hey! Let go of my momma!” Ollie yelled before he charged at the older man, and unleased the cracken.

\---- ----

“M’ sorry my kid kicked you in the balls, Harry,” Eggsy apologised again, handing the alpha a cup of peppermint tea.

“As I said before, he was simply trying to protect his mother. It was admirable. However, I do regret buying him those boots.” The alpha winced as he readjusted the icepack on his nether regions.

Eggsy joined him on the settee, snuggling up under one of the throw blankets. Harry perused the on-demand section on the telly and eventually settled on an old black and white Christmas movie.

“Is this alright?” he asked Eggsy.

“S’perfect. Me and my mum used to watch old black and whites together. She grew up with them and my dad actually proposed to her during a special showing of “My Fair Lady.” That’s my favourite movie, by the way.”

“Well, you’re full of surprises.”

At some point during the movie, Eggsy and Harry grew closer on the settee with Ollie settled between them. And if Harry paid more attention to the omega resting his head on his shoulder than the actual movie, no one would have been any the wiser.

\---- ----

“Hamish! Harry!” Percival bellowed as he barreled into their office appearing frantic and unseasonably pale. “We have a situation.”

The alphas rose from their seats, ready to swing into action.

“The hall where our Christmas party is supposed to be held has had to cancel because their pipes burst,” Percival droned.

The alphas sat back down, slightly annoyed by the false alarm.

“That's a damn shame,” Merlin replied insincerely, hoping that Percival would announce the cancellation of the party now. 

“I have called every hotel and banquet hall that I could possibly think of, but there is no availability this close to Christmas. What are we to do? Everyone has been looking forward to it for so long. This is an utter disaster!”

Harry looked at Merlin and the Scotsman practically murdered him with his eyes, knowing full well what the other alpha was about to say.

“We can host it at my home,” Harry offered, and Merlin slammed his head down on the desk.

“Oh, that's too much to ask of you, Harry,” Percival replied.

“Not at all. As you know I hosted Hamish and Roxanne’s wedding a few years back and it was a great success. We would have to scale back of course, but we could make it work. I do; however, have one condition.”

“Anything!” Percival promised.

“I want my personal chef to handle the food. And I want him to be compensated the same amount that we planned on paying the hall’s caterer.”

“Done. Harry, thank you. You're a life saver!”

“I am glad I could help.” Harry couldn't wait to go home and tell Eggsy the good news.

\---- ----

“I can’t believe you want me to cook for like a hundred people, Harry! I... Fuck! I ain't never made food for that many people at once before!”

“I have every confidence in you, Eggsy,” Harry said for the hundredth time that evening.

The omega nearly feinted when Harry had proposed the idea to him earlier, and he has spent the last few hours pacing around the house second-guessing his abilities.

“All you would need to do is prepare an assortment of passed hors d'oeuvres and some desserts,” Harry explained.

“Oh, is that _all_? Do you have any idea how long all that will take? No, of course you don't. You ain't a chef. And I ain't either. M’ just a chav omega with a stupid dream.”

Harry growled angrily. “Eggsy Unwin, sit down.” Eggsy whined and slumped into a chair at the dining room table, hanging his head in shame. “I apologise for raising my voice, but I will not tolerate such talk. You are a remarkable young man and an incredibly talented chef. I would not have recommended you for the job if I did not think you could handle it.”

“But what if I fuck it up, Harry?”

“Then we will change our identities, move to a remote island, and start completely new lives. I already have our aliases ready.”

Harry’s attempt at humour helped ease the omega’s nerves, but he still had his doubts.

“I don't wanna do nothing that could make you look bad,” Eggsy added, worriedly.

“Eggsy, this is not about me. This is about you. This is a tremendous opportunity for you to showcase your talent.” Harry took both of the omega's hands in his and kissed them softly. “You can do this. But you must believe in yourself.”

“Fuck,” Eggsy slurred, blushing. “Guess I better start planning the menu, huh?”

Harry beamed proudly.

\---- ----

Eggsy spent the rest of the week experimenting with different recipes and fretting over every tiny detail concerning the menu for the party. Harry and Ollie made sure to steer clear of the kitchen, but happily served as Eggsy's official taste testers every time he came up with a new idea.

“Mmm. Yummy momma!” Ollie hummed, licking every inch of the spoon after sampling Eggsy's maple cranberry purée.

“Thank you, baby. That's definitely going on the menu then.” Eggsy jotted down Ollie's response then had him sample a few more hors d'oeuvres. Harry loved the omega's philosophy, _“If a toddler likes it, then that means it's good ‘cause kids are the harshest food critics.”_

“Hamish and Roxanne will be here shortly,” Harry announced.

“Alright, can you carry these into the dining room, please?” he asked the older man.

“Of course.” Harry picked up the hot dishes and placed them on the cooling block in the centre of the dining room table.

Roxy was stopping by to help Harry stage the house for the upcoming party and Merlin was tagging along for the free food. Eggsy was both excited and nervous for other people to try his cooking. Not that he didn't trust or value Ollie or Harry's opinions, but it would be nice to have some objective input as well.

“I can get it!” Ollie announced when the doorbell rang.

“OLIVER LEE UNWIN don't you dare open that door!” Eggsy warned him. He finished putting the rest of the food on the table, then smiled to himself. “Oi! I'll get it!” he shouted when the doorbell rang again. “Hey Harry, is there a reason you ain't opening the door?” he asked the alpha who was standing in the middle of the front hallway, pale as a sheet. “Harry, you okay? Harry? HARRY?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics are from "All Alone On Christmas" by Darlene Love


	12. Chapter 12

_*Trigger Warning: conversation about a past robbery, past gun violence, and past character death._

“Olls, you need to give him some room, love.”

“It's alright, lad. He's just worried about the old goat. Come on, Harry. Time to wake up now.”

“Here's some ice.”

“Thank ye, Roxy. Come on now, Sleeping Beauty. Yer giving everyone a fright.”

Harry slowly blinked open his eyes. It took him a few minutes to recognise his surroundings, then he wrinkled his nose in disgust when he realised that he was laying on the floor of the front hallway.

“Well, this is most unsanitary,” he mumbled.

“Welcome back, Harry,” Merlin snickered, helping his friend sit up.

“What happened?” Harry rubbed the back of his head and discovered a moderately sized swollen bump.

“Ye passed out.”

“You felled down, Mr. Harry,” Ollie added.

“Maybe we should move him into the sitting room?” Eggsy suggested, then he and Merlin helped the bewildered alpha to the settee.

“I think I need a drink,” Harry grumbled, resting his head against the back of the velvet cushion.

“I’ll get some water,” Roxy offered, then disappeared into the kitchen.

“Care to explain what got ye all worked up, Harry?” Merlin asked, double checking the man’s vitals. His time serving as a medic in the army tends to come in handy.

Harry pressed the ice to his head and closed his eyes in concentration. He remembers bringing the food on table, the doorbell ringing, and then Eggsy shouting at the toddler...

“Oliver Lee Unwin,” Harry breathed, sitting forward and his eyes darting towards Eggsy.

“Hi Mr. Harry!” The child waved in response to his name.

Eggsy was staring back at Harry with alarm and confusion written all over his face.

“Hamish, can you and Roxanne take Oliver into the kitchen, please? I need to speak with Eggsy alone for a moment.”

“Aye.” Merlin turned to Ollie and whispered,” I know where Mr. Harry hides the chocolate biscuits. Ye want to help me eat one?”

The child's eyes lit up. He looked to his mother for permission, then eagerly followed the Scotsman out of the room.

“Harry, what the fuck is going on?” Eggsy asked, sitting on the cushion next to him. “You look like you've seen a ghost.”

“I have.”

“M’ sorry-wot-now?” Eggsy's eyes widened.

“When you called Oliver by his full name earlier, I had a flashback to a terrible day.”

“I don't understand...”

“It was six days before Christmas. I was new to the force and had been tasked with patrolling the Square Mile’s finance district. At the end of my shift, I passed by a group of men dressed up as Father Christmas and loitering near Lancelot Bank. I distinctly remember having a peculiar feeling about them, but I ignored it. It was cold and I was tired, and I had convinced myself that I was simply being paranoid. I returned to my vehicle and let it idyll while it warmed up, and I became rather absorbed in a Christmas song. So much so, that it wasn't until the next tune started playing that I noticed the people running in all different directions down the street. I jumped out of my car and that’s when I heard the gun shots. I ran as fast as I could towards the sound and realised that it was coming from Lancelot’s. That group of Father Christmases were robbing it. I called for backup, but it was going to take ten minutes for anyone to arrive and I knew I couldn't wait that long. I snuck inside and approached one of the robber’s as he was holding a teller hostage. The teller was my age and he kept darting his eyes towards his station, clearly trying to direct my attention towards something, or in this case, _someone_. Hidden underneath his station was a small child; a little boy with blonde hair and cerulean-blue eyes. Although the teller was in grave danger, getting the child to safety became my number one priority. The teller created a distraction and it allowed me to pull the boy from out of his hiding spot. Back-up arrived just as I ran outside with the child in my arms and then a singular, deafening shot rang through the air. I knew it meant that the boy’s father had been killed, but all I could focus on was keeping him safe.”

Harry stared down at his shaking hands.

“It was bring your kid to work day or some shit like that,” Eggsy whispered. “I used to love going with my dad to his job and seeing the big volts. Used to ask ‘em if we could dive into the money like Scrooge McDuck. I don't remember the actual robbery all that much. Docs later said it’s ‘cause my brain blocked out parts of that memory to protect itself or something. But I _do_ remember a brave man running with me in his arms and waiting with me in the back of an ambulance until mum came. So that was you, yeah?”

“Yes. I regret that I failed to recognise your surname sooner. I have spent years and thousands of dollars in therapy trying to forget that awful day. Eggsy, I am so terribly sorry that I failed you. I...”

“Hush up!” Eggsy snapped and Harry was taken aback. “Don't you go apologising for something that ain't your fault. What happened to my dad was terrible, but you ain't the one who pulled the trigger. You risked your life and got me to safety. You helped saved me that day. I'm still here ‘cause of you. Oliver is here now ‘cause of you.” He cradled Harry's face in his hands and wiped away the single tear that rolled down the older man’s cheek. “You's been my knight in shining armour from day one.”

Harry searched Eggsy's face, finding nothing both truth and admiration. Then he leaned forward and pressed their lips together. The kiss started off soft and slow, but then a month’s worth of tension and repressed feelings rose to the surface. They explored each other’s mouths with heated passion, and Harry pulled Eggsy into his lap. The omega made the most adorable and tantalising moans of pleasure, and the alpha wanted nothing more than to take him right then and there. But he wouldn't, Eggsy deserved a proper courting and he was going to give it to him. He was going to give his omega the world.

“YAY!” Ollie squealed, jumping up and down.

“Och! I just lost my appetite,” Merlin groaned, and then hissed when Roxy slapped him upside the head.

Harry and Eggsy quickly pulled apart, wiping off their lips and keeping their eyes downcast as if they were a bunch of naughty teenagers who had just been caught by the headmaster.

Ollie ran to his mother and jumped into his lap. “You and Mr. Harry love each other now?”

Eggsy and Harry looked at each other and started rambling off different answers at the same time.

“I think it is safe to say, that your mother and I care about each other very much,” Harry eventually landed on.

“So, you is gonna get married now?”

More rambling poured out of Harry and Eggsy's mouths, but both adults settled on responding with something along the lines of, “We will have to wait and see,” but it was obvious to everyone in the room that this was the start of something wonderful.

“I hate to interrupt this touching moment,” Merlin chimed in. “But guests are gonna be here in twenty-four hours. Perhaps we should get this show on the road?”

“Always such a romantic,” Roxy sighed and rolled her eyes at her husband.

“Nah, he’s right. There's still so much to do.” Eggsy jumped up and started reciting his menu to himself and mentally reviewing everything that he needed to get done, and Harry took that as his cue to get moving.

\---- ----

“You and Roxanne really seemed to hit it off,” Harry said to Eggsy.

They were cuddled together on the settee and enjoying the warmth of the fireplace, while Ollie lay underneath the Christmas tree and quietly coloured pictures.

“Yeah, Rox is aces. She thinks I should start posting videos online of me cooking. Even tried to convince me to set up a camera during the party. Don’t know who’d wanna watch, but I might do it.”

“I think that is a brilliant idea.”

“You do?”

“Yes, it would be great exposure for you. While I do not like the idea of sharing you with other people,” he teased, “it could help you build a following and perhaps even lead to a book deal some day. Trust Roxanne, she is very good at what she does.”

“She and Merlin make an interesting pair, huh?”

“Yes, she certainly keeps Hamish in check.”

“Meant to ask, where’s the nickname come from?”

“From our days as recruits. They gave one to each of us. Our commander happened to be fond of Welsh folklore and so he nicknamed us after the knights of the round table.”

“What's yours then? Oi! Come on, tell me!” Eggsy pleaded, sitting up straight and folding his hands together. “I'll put on Ollie’s favourite song,” he threatened quietly.

“You wouldn't dare,” Harry challenged.

“Wanna make a bet?”

“Galahad,” Harry quickly supplied.

“ _Galahad_? Ain't he like, the pure one?”

“Sir Galahad was known for his bravery, purity, and gallantry. He was, in essence, the perfect knight,” Harry affirmed.

“Sounds about right. Except for the whole purity part. Ain't no way someone so pure would kiss as sinfully as _you_ do,” Eggsy wiggled his eyebrows, then squeaked when Harry attacked his lips with his own. “Oi! Hey Olls? Wanna listen to them Jingle Bells?” he snickered, then screamed when Harry pinched his bottom.

“YES! Mr. Harry you have to sing with me!”


	13. Chapter 13

_*Trigger Warning: sexual language, unwanted advances, minor violence, demeaning language._

  
“Harry, these sweet and spicy meatballs are divine. You must send me the name of your caterer.”

“I would be happy to, Clara.”

The party had only begun and the guests were already stopping the alpha just so they could compliment him on his choice of caterer.

He made his way through the crowd, greeting guests and engaging them in light conversation along the way, and he eventually ended up at the food station, which is where he found Merlin playing a game of Tetris with his plate of hors d’oeuvres.

“Enjoying yourself, Hamish?” Harry sniggered as he watched the Scotsman pile an enormous amount of food onto one tiny plate.

“Och! Ye know how I feel about these types of things,” the Scotsman scoffed. “Nae, I would rather stay in and cosy up with a good book and my cat any day.”

Harry’s lip curled at the mention of the god-awful creature that Merlin calls a cat.

“Oh, sweet ginger that's heavenly,” Merlin moaned around a fried haggis ball, then stuffed another into his mouth before he even finished chewing the first one.

“You must try one of those with the whisky mustard sauce,” Harry suggested, taking the liberty of adding a dollop to the other alpha’s plate.

“Aye. That is fucking spectacular!” Merlin broadcasted, turning quite a few heads.

“Whatever ye do, Harry. Ye hold onto that omega of yers. Dinnae let him get away.”

“I fully intend to,” Harry avowed.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” Percival greeted them with a bright cheery smile. “Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, wouldn’t you agree?” 

”Aye,” Merlin hummed with his mouth full.

“Harry, thank you again for being such a gracious host. Everything looks terrific.” 

“It is my pleasure.”

“Merlin, where is your delightful other half?” Percival asked, fixing himself a plate while they chatted.

“One of her authors had a book signing event this evening, but she will be along shortly.”

“Well, I look forward to catching up with her. Oh my, this is delicious!” Percival exclaimed after biting into a mini-quiche. “Harry, this personal chef of yours is amazing.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“How did you find him again?”

Harry exchanged glances with Merlin and they tried to come up with a cohesive story together, but were doing a piss poor job of it. They really should have practiced their story. 

“You two are terrible liars. Do you really think I don't know what goes on in my own precinct?”

Harry swallowed thickly. “I assure you the young man has more than made up for his past transgressions, sir.”

“I'm sure he has. I trust you, Harry. But I wouldn't be doing _my_ job properly if I didn't hold you both accountable for your actions, now would I?” Harry and Merlin paled. “I tell you what's going to happen, your chef is going to cater every single one of our events going forward, and the two of you will be on court duty for the next three months,” Percival declared, with a warm smile.

“That's more than fair, sir. Thank you,” Harry replied, visibly relieved.

“Enjoy your evening, gentlemen.” Percival clapped them both on the back and then moved onto other guests.

“May I remind you that there are a ton of witnesses present. You will never get away with whatever you have planned,” Harry quietly cautioned his bald friend.

“I'm nae gonna kill ye, Harry.”

“Pardon?”

“Court duty is a small price to pay to finally see ye happy. It's been too long my friend.”

“Why, Hamish. I am truly touched.”

“Aye. Consider it yer Christmas present,” the bald alpha grumbled and Harry laughed. “Och! All these _feelings_... I need a drink. Care to join me at the bar?”

“I will meet you there in a moment. I want to check in with my omega first.”

—— ——

Harry had almost made it to the kitchen when the front door opened and in walked more guests.

“Good evening, Roxanne. I am so glad you could make it,” Harry stopped to greet the petite blonde as she stepped inside the house with an oddly familiar young man by her side. 

“Good evening, Harry. I hope things are going well?”

“Yes, very. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves,” he beamed, then turned his attention to her guest. “Hello, I do not believe I have had the pleasure?”

“Oh, yes,” Roxy piped up. “Harry, this is Charles Hesketh. We’ve just come from his book signing. Charles this is my dear friend, Harry Hart.”

“Are you ever going to call me Charlie?” the young man chuckled arrogantly, then turned his attention to Harry. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Oh my. W-welcome! Roxanne gifted me a copy of your holiday cookbook. I must say, I was rather impressed by your inventiveness.”

“Thank you, it's always nice to meet a fan,” Charlie chortled.

“If it is not too much of an imposition, I would love to introduce you to our chef for the evening?” Harry asked him. “I planned on gifting him a signed copy of your cookbook for Christmas, but I think meeting you would mean so much more.”

“Lead the way,” the famous chef replied enthusiastically.

\---- ----

Eggsy skillfully moved around the kitchen at lightning speed, assisting all of the servers with refilling their trays.

“Thank you all so much for your help. You're doing a great job!” Eggsy folded his hands together and bowed his head in thanks before sending them back out into the masses. He turned to Ollie, who was sitting on a stepping stool in front of the stove, intently watching the digital timer. “And you, my little sous chef, have been such a big help tonight. I couldn't have done any of this without you.” He kissed his son’s cheek.

“Thank you, momma. Four minutes!” he held up four fingers, then went back to keeping a vigilant eye on the next batch of mini quiches.

Eggsy chuckled and whipped a tea towel over his shoulder, then leaned back against the counter, smiling proudly.

“How is it going in here, darling?” Harry asked, poking his head into the kitchen.

“Well Harry, I don't mean to brag none, but I think I’m fucking acing it,” the omega beamed.

“Ommm momma!” Ollie’s brows furrowed and he wiggled a finger at his mother without ever glancing away from the stove. Eggsy offered him a laughing apology.

“Indeed, you are, my dear. Everyone is raving about the food. If Hamish wasn't married, I would be worried about him trying to steal you away.”

“Oi! Ain't no one else ever gonna steal my heart. It's all yours.” Eggsy stood on his tiptoes and pecked the alpha's lips.

“I have a surprise for you. That is, if you are not too busy?” Harry was practically bouncing on his heels.

“Nah, I’m on break at the ‘mo. What is it?” he asked eagerly, fully expecting Harry to pull something out of his pockets. That’s why his brows furrowed in confusion when the older man suddenly turned on his heels and walked out of the room.

Eggsy wasn’t sure if he was supposed to follow him or what. Fortunately he didn't have to wait long for an answer as Harry returned a few seconds later. But this time he wasn’t alone. 

“May I introduce you to this evening's chef, Mr. Hesketh, this is Eg—

“ _Eggy?”_

“Charlie?”

Harry stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes darted back and forth between the two young chefs who were currently having a stare down. “Do you two know each other?”

The kitchen was eerily quiet apart from the sound of guests merrily mingling on the other side of the door. 

“You look good, Eggy,” Charlie said huskily, finally breaking the silence.

“Harry, can you take Ollie for a sec?” Eggsy asked him, keeping his eyes locked on Charlie. “ _Now_.”

Harry stiffened at the sound of the omega's icy and authoritative tone, but he obliged.

“One more minute, momma!” Ollie shouted in protest as Harry carried him out of the room.

“I see you kept it,” Charlie huffed. “At least it didn't destroy your figure. Your arse still looks li—

A sharp slap across the face sufficiently silenced whatever else was about to spill from the alpha's vile mouth.

“You will not talk about MY pup that way,” Eggsy snarled in warning.

Charlie rubbed his cheek where a burning handprint had already formed on his skin, growling lowly at the omega. “Good to see you haven't lost your spunk. You were always a feisty little thing.”

The alpha walked around the kitchen like he owned the place and helped himself to some of the excess hors d'oeuvres sitting on the island.

”Just make yourself at home then,” Eggsy scoffed sarcastically, taking the quiches out of the oven while keeping one eye on the alpha at all times.

“Mmm. Now this is delicious,” Charlie moaned as he bit into one of the apricot brie bites. “What's in this? Is it sage?”

“Oi! Have you come here to steal _more_ of my recipes? Haven't you made enough money off of me already?”

“Oh Eggy. Like they would have done you any good. Omegas can't be chefs, you know that. I did you a favour,” he grinned wickedly.

“Neither can you apparently. Had to steal all your recipes and ideas from a lowly omega,” Eggsy raised his chin defiantly. “How do you sleep at night knowing that you're nothing but a big fraud, huh?”

“Quite comfortably actually. Much more so than you I'm sure. I do think of you from time to time though,” the alpha added softly.

“Give me a fucking break,” Eggsy scoffed.

“No, seriously I do. Every time my bank account surpasses another million thanks to your brilliant ideas, I wonder to myself, _what would Eggy do with all of this money and fame?_ Then I make a toast to your existence and buy myself another yacht.”

Eggsy growled loudly. “Yeah, you're right. I don't got millions in the bank, or book deals, and my face ain't plastered up on billboards, or across every telly like yours is, but at least I have my fucking dignity.”

Charlie clutched his stomach and laughed. “Dignity? Oh Eggy. You're a chav from the estates playing chef in someone else's kitchen, a college dropout, and mother to a bastard. What's dignified about _any_ of that?”

“I want you to get the fuck out of my house,” Eggsy hissed.

“I would mind my manners if I were you,” Charlie warned him, clicking his tongue in disapproval. “How do you think it will look if you kicked ME, out of your kitchen, simply because you couldn't take a little bit of criticism? Your attempt at a career will be over before it even got started.”

Eggsy’s lip quivered with anger. He knew Charlie was right. Once again, the alpha had a leg up on him, and there was nothing he could do.

Charlie’s eyes darkened when he sensed the omega’s defeat. “I really don't wanna fight with you, baby. It's the holidays and my rut is coming soon. So, what do you say we bury the hatchet and see if we can't recreate some of that magic we used to have back in uni, hmm? Maybe make a little brother or sister for your pup?” he leaned into Eggsy and tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear.

“I'd rather kiss a toilet seat,” Eggsy spat.

Charlie snarled and grabbed him around the waist. “Now you listen to me you little bitch! I wo—

Whatever the alpha was about to say was cut off by Harry grabbing hold of him and slamming him up against the wall like a rag doll.

“I will kill you if you ever touch MY omega again!” Harry roared.

“Help! Someone get this lunatic off me!” Charlie screamed desperately.

“What the hell is going on here?” Percival demanded to know as he and Merlin raced into the kitchen, followed closely by a _livid_ -looking Roxy.

“Harry, let the lad go,” the Scotsman coaxed him, holding up his hands like he was in a standoff with a wild animal.

It took some time, but Harry eventually released Charlie from his death grip, all the while staring him down. The young man scrambled to put some space between them and barricaded himself on the other side of the island (as if that would protect him from the older alpha’s rage).

Harry calmly adjusted his cufflinks and straightened his tie before moving to stand next to Eggsy.

“That _animal_ attacked me for no reason!” Charlie pointed at Harry.

“I assure you that my actions were justified, Percival. He laid a hand on my omega.”

“He's lying!” Charlie screeched.

Percival held up a hand, silencing the heated alphas and turned to Eggsy. “Mr. Unwin, can you tell me what happened, please?”

Eggsy was shaking from head to toe. He knew that if he grassed up Charlie then he could kiss his dream of becoming a chef goodbye for good this time, but he couldn't betray Harry. He looked into his alpha's kind brown eyes, then took a deep breath.

“Mr. Hesketh attacked me,” Eggsy said loud and clear. “He became enraged after I refused his advances and called him out on being a fraud.”

“The omega's crazy,” Charlie scoffed. “We knew each other back in culinary school and he thinks just because we cooked together once or twice that he should be entitled to _my_ empire.”

_“He’s_ the one that’s lying!” Eggsy rebuked. “You know all them “famous” recipes he’s known for? He fucking stole them from me! The award-winning Dandelion Shortbread Cookies, _I_ came up with that recipe ‘cause they used to grow outside my flat and we’s couldn’t afford to buy fancy shit from no bakery. Would make ‘em every year for my mum’s birthday. And the famous Fried Oat Cakes? I practically lived on oatmeal ‘cause we could always count on the Food Bank having enough to go around, and the cakes last longer if you fry ‘em. You see, these recipes weren’t designed for busy professionals like all his stupid books claim. They were designed for people like me who needed to make something out of nothing. Just ‘cause we’re poor, don’t mean we deserve to live on scraps.”

“You have zero proof to support your ridiculous claims, omega!” Charlie spat. “I came here, out of the kindness of my heart, only to be attacked and insulted. My solicitors are going to hear about this!”

“Oh, I’m sure they’re already aware of the situation,” Roxy chimed in. “After, all you just confessed to committing fraud in front of thousands of people.” She picked up her mobile and read, “19,017 to be exact. Oo and the views keeps going up.”

“I beg your pardon, _views_?” Harry asked, shaking his head in confusion.

“Oh my days! I forgot all about the camera!” Eggsy gasped, dashing towards the refrigerator and removing a small rounded object that look more like a magnet than an actual camera.

“As I told Eggsy the other day, social media is the perfect platform for an inspiring chef to gain some exposure and to build a following. We set up this camera earlier and have been broadcasting live ever since. The response has been overwhelming positive too. Viewers have immensely enjoyed watching him cook with his son’s help this evening. And you know what _else_ is trending?” Roxy smirked. ‘Hashtag Hesketh is a fraud. _’_ It seems that Charles’ little confession earlier has gone viral. And now the public knows that he stole all of his recipes from Eggsy.”

“I…. I….” Charlie stammered.

“Well, it’s clear why ye had to build a career based on lies,” Merlin snorted, “Not exactly an eloquent lad, are ye?”

Charlie growled. “This isn’t over, _Eggy_! If you think for one second that you’re going to take away everything that I’ve built, you’re sorely mistaken!”

“You have not built anything, Mr. Hesketh,” Harry corrected him. “Your entire career can be attributed towards this young man’s genius and pure talent.”

“You know what, Charlie,” Eggsy spoke up and moved closer to the disgruntled alpha. “I’ve spent _years_ hating your fucking guts. I used to lay awake at night wondering what I ever did to deserve your cruelty, and what I was gonna tell my pup about his dad when he asks me someday. But now I feel nothing. I look at you and feel hollow inside. You no longer take shelter inside of my soul. And my pup ain’t ever gonna have to wonder about his real dad ‘cause he’s right here,” Eggsy grabbed hold of Harry’s hand. “So, thanks. Thanks for abandoning me, and for betraying me, and for cheating me. I never would have gotten to where I am without you.”

“Gentlemen, would you be so kind as to help me take out the trash?” Harry asked, and Percival and Merlin gladly aided him with forcibly removing Charles Hesketh from the kitchen. 

“Get your hands off me! Don't you know who I am!” Charlie kicked and screamed as he was dragged out of the house.

Roxy was pacing around the kitchen talking on her mobile, caught up in what appeared to be an _intense_ conversation with her publishing company. 

Eggsy breathed a sigh of relief, then sought out his child. Guests smiled at him and some even clapped him on the back as he passed by, replaying the viral incident on their mobile devices. He found Ollie in the sitting room, huddled underneath the tree with other small children and they were all giggling and blissfully unaware of the drama that had just unfolded.

“Eggsy, are you alright?” Harry immediately asked upon his return, checking the omega over.  
  
“M’ alright, Harry. Swear down. I just can’t believe the truth is out now. Shit. M’ sorry I didn’t tell you about dickface sooner. Felt like I had to keep it a secret for so long ‘cause I didn’t think anyone would ever believe me.”

“I understand. And I hope you know that you can tell me anything. I do not want there to be any secrets between us.”

“Yes, Harry.”

“I suppose this puts a damper on what I had planned to give you for Christmas.”

“What do you mean?” Eggsy asked and tilted his head curiously as the alpha removed a beautifully wrapped package from under the tree and then handed it to him.

“I purchased it the day we visited Tristan and Kay’s,” Harry explained as the omega tore open the wrapping paper, unveiling the “Holidays with Hesketh” cookbook. “I thought that you might enjoy having a signed copy,” he mumbled sheepishly.

“HA! You know what, Harry? This is fucking aces.”

“It is?”

“Yeah. Overhead Rox phone with her publishing company. She said something about this going out of print now. Guess that makes it a collector’s item then, huh?” he sniggered.

Harry laughed heartily. “Oh, my omega. How I adore you.”

“I adore you too, my alpha. M’ real glad that I stole your wallet that day.”

“Oh darling, you stole more than just my wallet.”


	14. Chapter 14

Harry had the time of his life spoiling his omega and pup for the holiday. It took them almost three hours to open all of their gifts on Christmas morning, and the sitting room was positively littered with hastily discarded wrapping paper, ribbons, and colourful bows. Normally, Harry would be fussing over such a mess, but he was far too busy assembling Ollie’s new tricycle to even care.

They had converted the finished basement into a play area for the toddler and Eggsy shook his head as he carried all of his son’s new toys down the stairs. It seemed like Harry had cleaned out every toy shop across London, and the omega was working up a sweat from the numerous trips that it took him to put everything away.

Much to Harry’s dismay, Ollie had discovered the joys of playing with cardboard boxes and was having a blast pretending that he was an aviator flying through the skies in the box that his new playhouse had come in. But the older alpha wasn’t too disappointed as he enjoyed seeing the toddler happy more than anything.

Eggsy was still dressed in the pair of orange and black silk pajamas that Harry gave to him the night before as he baked a macaroon cherry pie to take over to Merlin and Roxy’s later that evening. The alpha had also gifted him new sets of cookware and bakeware and the omega knew full well that those gifts were self-serving, but he didn’t mind one bit. He loved cooking for his family and he was excited to use all of the new equipment for his upcoming mother and son cooking show, “Ollie Ollie Eggsy-free,” that was set to premiere after the New Year.

Eggsy felt truly blessed to have found such a kind, generous, and thoughtful alpha that not only respected him, but also loved both him and his pup to the moon and back. He doesn’t need tons of gifts (or any for that matter) to know just how much Harry cares for him, but if he _had_ to pick a favourite… the apple green imperial jade ring on his left ring finger was definitely the winner.

\---- ----

“Hi Mr. Merlin!”

“Evening lad. Are ye having a nice Christmas?” The Scotsman asked Ollie, taking his coat.

“Yup. Father Christmas bringed me sooo many presents. And boxes too!”

“I had no idea that boxes would be so popular,” Harry muttered under his breath as he helped Eggsy remove his coat.

The omega snickered. He was thoroughly enjoying watching Harry learn all the trades of being a parent.

“Well, I believe that Father Christmas may have left ye something under our tree as well. Why don’t we go and take a look, hmm?” Merlin tittered as he jogged after the squealing child.

“Oi! You all are spoiling him!” Eggsy lightly ridiculed the group.

“I believe there’s something under the tree for _you_ as well,” Roxy added and Eggsy took off.

“Like mother, like son,” Harry chuckled, shaking his head.

The older man handed Roxy the bag of gifts that they brought for her and Merlin, and everyone gathered around the tree in the sitting room.

“Eggsy, have you had a chance to read the email that I sent you regarding the meeting with Kingsman Publishing House?” Roxy asked, handing each of their guests a glass of nice delicious, cold eggnog.

“Yeah, I did. And I can’t believe they want _me_ to make a cookbook.”

“Well, believe it. You’re a rising star, Eggsy Unwin,” she smiled.

“I do beg your pardon, but it’s _Chef Unwin now_ , thank you,” Eggsy teased in a posh voice. She snorted and threw the bow from her gift at him. 

“So lad, did ye get everything ye asked Father Christmas for?” Merlin asked Ollie.

“Mmhhmm. I asked Father Christmas to make momma happy and he did. See! Momma happy ‘cause now we’s gots Mr. Harry and we gonna live happily ever after.”

“Baby,” Eggsy drew in a sharp breath and his eyes glistened with tears. He sank down to the floor and hugged his toddler tight. “Being your momma is the greatest honour of my life. Thank you for being the most wonderful little boy a momma could ever ask for. I love you oh so much.”

“Love you too, momma.”

The other adults in the room quickly turned their heads and dried their eyes, refusing to look at each other.

“Well, I hope everyone is hungry,” Roxy said, finally breaking the silence. “The food will be here any minute.”

Eggsy was looking forward to sitting back and enjoying someone’s else’s food for a change; he needed a little break after having cooked for the Christmas party. He also needed to reserve some of his culinary energy for his future endeavors… Chef Unwin was going places, after all.

Merlin and Harry busied themselves with making drinks in the kitchen while Roxy went to greet the delivery person at the door.

Eggsy ducked into the loo to splash some cold water on his face, and then looked at himself in the vanity mirror above the sink. His eyes were slightly puffy from crying so many happy tears that day, but he didn’t care. He could finally gaze at his reflection with confidence and see the potential that Harry had seen in him that fateful day. He dried himself off and was about to rejoin the others when his toddler let out a blood-curdling scream.

“AAARRRGGHH!”

“Ollie! What’s wr— AAARRRGGHH!”

Harry and Merlin ran into the dining room to see what was the matter.

“Hate to break it to ya, Merlin. But you guys have got a serious rat problem!” Eggsy yelled, standing on a dining chair and holding Ollie in his arms.

Harry knelt down and looked under the table, then let out a barking laugh.

Mr. Denver meowed and then sauntered out from under the table and rubbed himself up against the Scotsman’s legs.

Merlin cooed at the cat and held him up. “This is nae a rat, lads. This here is my Sphynx, Mr. Denver.”

“Uh-uh! That ain’t no cat! Cats have fur!” Eggsy rebuked. “That’s more like a gremlin or something.”

Harry turned and smiled victoriously at the Scotsman.

“Och! Ye two are bloody perfect for each other.”

The End. 


End file.
